What is the Main Street Approach?
Main Street is a strategy for the renewal of our communities and downtowns. The Main Street Approach is based on the experience of thousands of towns that have made an effort to rejuvenate their central shopping districts.
The Main Street approach is incremental. It does not produce instant change. Instant change, such as a pedestrian mall or a town "theme," provides excitement and a sense of something happening. But such attempts at revitalization usually fail because the underlying causes of decline in the downtown have not been treated. The Main Street approach is effective because it attacks those underlying causes while rebuilding a positive, coordinated image of the downtown. Effective Main Street programs focus on four areas simultaneously.
Organization Downtown Alliance Chairman: The Main Street Approach is a management process. Success requires an adequately funded organization, a full-time professional Main Street Manager and a committed, well organized Board of Directors. Working together within the Main Street Association, all of those with a stake in the downtown are able to come together to plan for the downtown's future. |
Promotions Promotions Committee Chairman The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization adopts many of the strategies of modern shopping mall management. These include, for example, coordinated promotions and marketing programs. A comprehensive promotional calendar is essential for a healthy downtown business community. |
Design Our appearance is critical to our downtown's future. A well maintained, attractive downtown draws customers and investors. A poorly maintained downtown drives customers and investors away. Main Street design programs begin with preservation. The quality elements of the downtown which have survived from the past are identified and are used to build a strong, positive image for everyone who uses the downtown. |
Economic Development Most small downtowns will never regain their prominence as primary retail centers; that has been irretrievably lost to the regional malls. But small downtowns can retain their health and vitality by attracting specialty retailers, office users and new, downtown residents. When vacancies occur, the Main Street Association must target those businesses needed in the downtown and be ready to actively recruit them. A revitalization program also needs to help existing businesses understand and adapt to their market. This requires sound market research and business education programs. |
For more information please see the The National Trust for Historic Preservation Website.
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