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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Photo credit: Project for Public Spaces
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America. Less explored, though perhaps equally powerful, is the connection between creating healthy places and economic development in America’s small towns.
This July 24-25, we hosted the Convergence of Health, Place, and the Economy in Denver, Colorado, with the Project for Public Spaces. This convening of nearly 50 of the country’s thought leaders from nonprofit planning and community development, transportation, health institutions, foundations, and government agencies was held to explore the intersection of place, health, and economic development in rural America.
With an emphasis on dialogue and interaction between participants, this convening was designed to create actionable agendas that advance health and prosperity on rural Main Streets. The three objectives of the convening were:
Convene and connect a diverse group of resource providers and experts.
Create inclusive and actionable strategies for rural main streets.
Establish shared values and engage in organic dialogue on the issues facing rural Main Streets.
The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Anne T. and Robert M. Bass.
Denver streetscape. Photo credit: Lindsey Wallace, National Main Street Center
The convening began with keynote speakers Patrice Frey, Fred Kent, Matt Wagner, Richard Jackson, Jane Ellery, and Ed McMahon creating an atmosphere for transformative change around how to shape the nexus of the economy and health in rural America. Importance was placed on how, together, we can realize our collective potential to improve rural economies and health through placemaking.
Over the two days, participants discussed how to scale successes in three primary topic areas:
The event culminated in a collaborative process to develop actions, teams, and commitments in virtual learning opportunities, affinity groups, messaging, and creating a model for similar convenings at the local level.
Patrice Frey, NMSC President & CEO, speaks at the convening. Photo credit: Rachel Bowdon, National Main Street Center
The following thought leaders from Main Street America, Project for Public Spaces, UCLA, Ball State University, and Urban Land Institute shared inspirational stories, the need for urgent action, and insights on the connection of place, health and the economy.
Patrice Frey, President and CEO, National Main Street Center
This convening is an opportunity to focus on what’s working in rural America in terms of health, place and economic outcomes. This is the first time there’s been a convening of this nature and it is a real opportunity to bust out of our silos and approach these challenges holistically. This is especially important because 75-80 percent of communities fall into the category of rural.
Fred Kent, President, Project for Public Spaces
All disciplines converge around place. Community organizing and improving places for people is one of the easiest things we can do. The tools to get there include Architecture of Place, Streets as Places, and Local Foods/Markets—all with the outcome of improving economic and health outcomes. “We can all do something we can’t believe.”
Matt Wagner, Vice President of Revitalization Programs, National Main Street Center
These are the conditions and trends we see impacting rural economies: struggles with population loss; shifts away from ag-based economy; more urban populations; all rural economies are not the same (western US is characterized by predominantly recreation-based economic sectors and southeastern is more manufacturing); youth outmigration, agriculture, and technology and automation. Trends like locally grown food changes Main Streets into culinary districts: we see farm to table restaurants, value-added production with retail components, and farmer’s markets as year-round retail anchors. About small scale production: because of the rise of the internet, online retail and globalization, this type of production has been able to occur and succeed in small town contexts.
Richard Jackson, MD MPH FAAP, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
There are big economic forces pushing us in the direction of ill health—built environment, livability, opportunities to connect with nature. But connecting with one another can be a balancing factor. Basic healthcare and a healthy environment are rights. The purpose of public health is to fulfill society’s interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy. “We can’t wag our finger at people and tell them to be healthy—what does work is to make it irresistible for people to get out be active, eat healthy, and enjoy their environment.”
Jane Ellery, Senior Fellow Project for Public Spaces, Ball State University
Community well-being takes a transdisciplinary approach: public and mental health, human resource and management, political science - all working together. Communities often don’t have the means to voice their concerns, but placemaking can facilitate that. Well-being is about moving away from preventing people from getting sick to helping people live fulfilling, happy, and healthy lives—it’s moving from a pathogenic to a salutogenic framework. We are working together to make physical activity an unavoidable part of our daily lives. “Place is as important to health as your genetic code.”
Ed McMahon, Urban Land Institute and National Main Street Center Board of Directors
The US spends the most in the world on healthcare but doesn’t necessarily get the best results. Rural healthcare, in particular, is a huge challenge. One-third of rural communities in America are gaining population and a healthy downtown is key to attracting people. While every community has different assets and challenges, to get the attention of public officials, healthy communities need to be linked to economic and/or community development. He stressed “The Economics of Uniqueness” and that differentiating your community through placemaking is incredibly important to your economic health as well as physical health.
In this themed section, three panelists discussed how markets impact access to healthy food and a vibrant economy in rural Main Streets, then attendees broke out into small groups for a deeper dive, facilitated discussion.
Presenters:
Guiding Question: How might we leverage food systems to encourage rural economic development?
Responses included:
Nature Matters panel. Photo credit: Project for Public Spaces
Presenters
Discussion Summary
Guiding Question: How might we encourage community investment in green spaces?
Responses included:
Presenters
Discussion Summary
Guiding Question: How might we connect rural transportation and access to health?
Responses included:
Photo credit: Project for Public Spaces
To emphasize the community-led approach to this convening, participants spent time in a facilitated discussion examining questions and ideas crucial to implementing health-related work:
The primary goal of this convening was for participants to begin to develop action agendas around themes that emerged during the meeting. While many ideas were exchanged related to building the capacity of rural Main Street managers and scaling the placemaking projects yielding positive health and economic outcomes, four areas for action emerged. Participants self-selected into one of the following discussion groups:
Virtual learning forum. Establish a virtual learning forum community that allows us to go forward outside of physical convenings.
Affinity groups. Establish community typologies and provide opportunities to connect with communities who are similar.
Messaging. Establish shared language on intersections of health/place/economy.
Replicable program or convening model. Create a model for local convenings on the convergence of health, place, and the economy that replicate the work done here.
Work continues on the identified action agendas—stay tuned for more information about how to get involved or how you could further the work started in Denver! The Project for Public Spaces and the National Main Street Center are also working on a summary report, which will include details surrounding each of the presentations and discussions.
Thank you to the following organizations for attending:
America Walks
American Planning Association
Ball State University
City of Lamar
City of Montrose
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Colorado Department of Transportation
Colorado Development Office
Colorado Main Street
Community Builders
Community Resource Center
U.S. Economic Development Administration
Edington Associates, LLC
Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA
Iowa Economic Development
KaBoom!
Kentucky Heritage Council
Land Information Access Association
LiveWell Colorado
Main Street South Carolina
Main Street West Virginia
Mary Black Foundation
Montana Main Street
Montana State University
Nashville Civic Design Center
National Main Street Center
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Project for Public Spaces
Rails to Trails
Red Tail Conservancy
Safe Routes to School
Telamon, Inc.
Tennessee Department of Health
Trust for Public Land
USDA-Rural Development
Music has a unifying power to bring people of all generations, backgrounds, and cultures together for creative expression. Let’s explore how accessible, family-friendly music experiences can strengthen Main Streets across America to build stronger communities, one concert at a time!
Main Street America is pleased to announce the launch of a $1.8 million sub-grant program as part of our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
Beloit, Kansas © Shane Hampton
Construction projects can put a lot of stress on your downtown. From preparation to completion, Brooke Prouty at Iowa Economic Development Authority shares best practices to help your Main Street thrive during construction.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
At the heart of thriving Main Streets are vibrant public spaces that unite people of all ages and backgrounds and enrich community life. And what better way to activate public spaces than through the power of free, live music?
Middlesboro, Kentucky © Levitt Foundation
Learn how Main Streets can tap into federal resources to improve transportation infrastructure, take down barriers, and improve access to key services.
Main Street America is proud to announce the release of a new resource to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
This Boston Main Street installed an innovative street mural to highlight crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety.
These seven Main Streets have implemented innovative, exciting, and fun programs to help welcome dogs to their downtowns.
MSA President and CEO Erin Barnes explores how a holiday market in a public park brought a new focus on growing humanitarian needs in downtown city centers.
The RAISE program funds surface transportation projects with local and regional impact by enhancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and economic growth.
Streetscape improvements can make a big difference for Main Streets. © Grant Harper
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Apply for federal funding to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation infrastructure that creates barriers to community connectivity.
Art is a powerful tool for community change. Learn how the arts can improve community engagement, boost economic development, and connect with the Main Street Approach.
Streets play an important role in our downtown districts. Learn more about Main Street America's recent work with the Department of Transportation to promote vibrant and sustainable downtown roadways.
Learn how the Safe Streets and Roads for All program is providing grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
Streetscape in Denison, Texas. © Mel Climer — Climer Design
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Waterloo, Iowa, shares advice and lessons learned from their e-scooter program.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Mount Airy Downtown, Inc., celebrated the return of their Market Street Arts and Entertainment District (MSA & ED) last weekend, as part of their pandemic recovery efforts.
Mount Airy, NC © Robbie Curlee
A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Many are located predominantly in African American communities.
Milwaukee, WI © Historic King Drive BID
Dubbed the Blues Alley, the Ripley Main Street program plans to install murals of local pioneering Black blues artists, cutout guitars painted by local art students, and blues lyrics painted on the walls.
Ripley, MS © Ripley Main Street
Wayfinding guides people to places they seek but it also brings awareness to places they may have otherwise missed.
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Main Street America partnered with OneMain Financial to create Made on Main Street.
Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions.
Over 300 attendees enjoyed a family-friendly block party that celebrated the community and showcased Prosser's upcoming streetscape improvement project.
Cambridge was the first Main Street community in Maryland to install public chargers.
The Downtown Newton Development Association (North Carolina) partnered with the City of Newton on a temporary tactical urbanism project to demonstrate how their permanent streetscape improvements will benefit downtown.
Over 500 people braved the misty rain this past weekend to come and celebrate Painesville and its Made on Main Street community transformation project.
Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places.
In October 2017, Main Street Ottumwa collaborated with local partners, Main Street Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Better Block Foundation to stop planning, talking, and wishing, and start doing.
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds,
A collaborative effort launched between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, looked to blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation, and activating overlooked spaces.
Beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower fountain through Main Street Paris's new Love Lock Fence.
Kasey Drummond, Glenrock Main Street Director, explains how they brought the acclaimed graffiti artist ARCY to their Main Street and explores the work he produced in three additional Wyoming communities on his summer tour.
Karen Dye, Newkirk Main Street's program manager, was inspired to “make downtown more fun and festive” with painted water meter covers after learning about the practice at a recent Main Street Now conference.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
