Our Mission
We believe Main Streets are for everyone. At the core of our approach to
revitalization is a commitment to creating places of shared prosperity,
equal access to opportunity, and inclusive engagement.
A broad constituency of stakeholders - including residents, visitors,
entrepreneurs and customers - produce a thriving Main Street district.
As centers of economic and social opportunity, commercial districts
impact the health and prosperity of all stakeholders, and thus they
should be reflective of and in service to all members of the community.
Despite this, we know that barriers - direct and indirect, historic and
current - have prevented this vision of full participation in
communities and commercial districts from becoming a universal reality.
From land-use policies to business finance practices, our systems have
intentionally excluded marginalized groups while bolstering prosperity
for those with power. And, many of the forces driving change on our Main
Streets today, especially rapid demographic shifts and technological
innovations, are deepening existing inequities.
This history, and our collective role in shaping the future of
communities, positions our movement at the center of some of the most
pressing issues in our society today: Who belongs? Who’s represented?
Who thrives?
To fulfill our mission, we must recognize inequity and embrace change.
The Main Street Approach, with its emphasis on community engagement as a
core element of district strategy, can offer a path forward. But
creating places of shared prosperity, equal access, and inclusive
engagement requires sustained commitment to education and action.
There’s important work for us to do to fully realize this vision. We’re
excited to embark on taking next steps together and hear what you are
doing to shape an inclusive future.