The document reviews the Main Street program, an economic development strategy that embraces merchants organizations, local development, design, and monitoring. It originated in Canada and the US in the 1980s. The American model follows a private consulting format, while Quebec's Rues Principales operates out of Quebec City and works with communities. Several case studies of Main Street programs are presented, including examples from Virginia, Quaticook, Contrecoeur, and Saint Romaud that implemented business funding, marketing campaigns, and online business directories. Collaboration with these groups could provide new ideas for the SDBSL program.
2. DOCUMENT OVERVIEW
The main street program has become an elemental planning strategy in the culture of Canadian local economic
development. The following is introducing this program.The list below illustrates the layout of the document.
ï Introduction
ï American main street consulting
ï Virginia HDC
ï Rues Principales Quaticook
ï Rues Principales Contre Coeur
ï Rues Principales Saint Romaud
ï Point Saint Charles
ï Other Main Street Programs
ï Additional resources
Important contacts identified by interACTION appear in grey text throughout these pages.
3. INTRODUCING MAIN STREET
The Main Street program is a widely recognized initiative that embraces a four pronged approach to local economic
development: merchants organization, local economic development strategies, design strategies, monitoring
strategies.The program had its start in Canada in the early eighties under the Heritage Canada Foundation.
In the United States this program began atroughly the same time. It is currently administered under the
national historic trust inWashington DC. It has become a popular resource for community groups who wish to
develop strategies for the economic development of their local main street. TheAmerican model has followed a
private sector, consulting format whereby services are purchased from the organization (see the following page).
Main Street programs are spread throughout the U.S. In this document a project from only only one will be
examined.
Quebec has chapter of the same organization called Rues Principale headquartered in Quebec City. They have been
very active in Quebec for over 25 years, and their collaboration with different communities across the province has
resulted in a number of valuable projects. Many of their best practices and annual updates are available online. A
sample of these which might prove instructive for the SDBSL can be found in the following pages.
Fig.1 Terrasse photo: interACTION
4. PRIVATE SECTOR MAIN STREET MODEL
This is a typical advertisement for information available from the American Main Street model in Washington DC
This webinar can be purchased for $10.00, for example, from the website of the national historic trust.
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/case-studies/
5. AMERICAN EXAMPLE
This group acting as a business improvement association used the Main Street program to to
develop a campaign for filling vacant store fronts with temporary businesses. The campaign
was called âpop up shopsâ
Using simple marketing and good research they were able to make this idea of temporary or
itinerant store fronts viable and sexy.
Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development
Main Street Centre, 600 East Main Street,
12th Floor North Conference Room
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Douglas.Jackson@dhcd.virginia.gov
10. OTHER MAIN STREET PROGRAMS
ï TheYounge Bloor Bay Busines Development association
http://www.ybba.org/
ï TheTorontoBusinessDevelopmetnCenter
http://www.tbdc.com/
ï The Oregon commercial district revitalization ProgramÂ
 http://www.oregon4biz.com/
ï Portland Mainstreet
http://www.pdc.us/bus_serv/business_support/mainstreet.aspÂ
ï The Boston Main Streets Program
http://www.cityofboston.gov/mainstreets/Â
ï The Alberta Main Street ProgramÂ
http://www.albertamainstreet.org/default.aspx
11. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ï Holdsworth âReviving Mainstreetâ
ï National Main Street Center book âGuiding Design on Main Street:The Professionalâs Manual for Managing
Designâ
ï Canada Foundation for SaskatchewanTourism, Parks, Culture and Sport (2009) âMain Street Past and Presentâ
ï Main Sstreet Handbook âFill-in-the-Blank Business Recruitment:AWorkbook for Main Street Business
Developmentâ
Please See the bookstore at the website of the National HistoricTrust:
http://www.preservationbooks.org/Bookstore.asp?category_id=76