Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo
Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.
Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
As the Senior Director of Research, Mike develops research projects that demonstrate the power and potential of Main Street communities. This includes work managing research partnerships, steering research efforts from design through execution, and gathering and analyzing data related to the performance of Main Streets across the country.
Mike has more than 15 years of experience conducting groundbreaking research on the links between communities’ physical fabric and their social, cultural, and economic vitality. Between 2013 and 2020, Mike led research for the National Trust for Historic Preservation that empirically assessed the contributions that existing buildings and commercial districts offer cities.
Through the Trust’s “Older, Smaller, Better” and “Atlas of ReUrbanism” projects, he demonstrated the statistical links between blocks of older, smaller, mixed-age buildings and an array of important community and economic development outcomes in more than 50 U.S. cities. Mike also played a significant role in the National Trust’s Partnership for Building Reuse with the Urban Land Institute, steering policy conversations focused on strengthening building reuse opportunities in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Louisville. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree (2006) and a doctorate in Planning, Policy, and Design (2010), both from the University of California, Irvine.
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We are excited to announce the Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) Tracker, a new free tool to help designated Main Streets unlock the potential of their vacant properties. This user-friendly property inventory tool allows local leaders can gather, store, and showcase information about their district’s built environment to plan and advocate for new property uses.
Denison, Texas © Mel Climer – Climer Design
Designed for local leaders, this user-friendly property inventory tool allows users to easily gather, store, and showcase information about buildings and lots in their districts. The Building Opportunities on Main Street Tracker (BOOMS) Tracker is available to all designated Main Street districts in our network.
Denison, Texas © Mel Climer – Climer Design
From budgets and staffing to programming priorities and the myriad of backgrounds that bring people to Main Street, the insights and key findings from this year's trends survey provide a snapshot of the state of the Main Street Movement.
Answer 12 questions to find out the "personality" of your district and resources that cover related housing topics.
Macon, GA
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this tool is designed to help local leaders assess strengths and challenges related to housing in their downtowns or commercial corridors. Take the quiz to receive target resources to support housing efforts in your community.
Macon, Georgia.
Our research team shares the results of the Fall 2023 Small Business Survey.
Check out a deep dive into the results of our Spring 2023 Small Business Survey, plus insights to help inform the work of local leaders supporting entrepreneurs on Main Street.
A practical and easily digestible report containing practical “how-to’s” designed to help local leaders support housing development in their communities.
