Main Street

 Brewster NY from MetroNorth

Main Street Redevelopment Hopes To Lure NYC Commuters to Village of Brewster

Officials in the Village of Brewster, a community of just over 2,000 people in New York's Putnam County, hope a redesign of their downtown will attract new residents who want to escape the clamor of the city.

November 24, 2021 - Albany Times-Union

Downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States.

How Some Main Street Businesses Survived the Pandemic

Despite the economic blow dealt by last year's lockdowns, business districts in smaller cities like Wilkes-Barre managed to weather the crisis.

June 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Los Gatos, California

Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet

Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.

July 23, 2019 - The Mercury News

Main Street

Small Towns Prioritize Main Street for Economic and Population Growth

Downtown revitalization can be a small town planning priority too.

May 7, 2019 - Next City

Housing Development

From McMansion to McMain Street

In attempt to design buildings that convey the complexity and scale of the traditional Main Street, we frequently end up with buildings that are a cartoon version of the real thing. Perhaps we are trying too hard?

April 28, 2019 - CNU Public Square

Main Street

Main Street as a Microcosm of the World

How can a three-day design workshop make a difference? Be a strong local partner able to convene community. Rob Steuteville at CNU Public Square shares lessons learned.

March 24, 2019 - CNU Public Square

Wayne County Main Street

Keeping Downtown Main Streets Full

Oakland County, Michigan has announced an initiative to attract and retain retail businesses.

September 25, 2018 - Crain's Detroit Business

Mills 50

An Orlando Business District Revitalization Success Story

Mills 50, just northeast of Downtown Orlando, has been reborn as the city's Main Street and has helped spur development, investment, and interest in Orlando's urban core.

March 5, 2018 - Modern Cities

Conservation Distict

USDA Shake-Up, Trump Budget Could Be the Demise of the Office of Rural Development

A shake-up at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will likely impact the delivery of support and programs from the federal government to rural communities.

June 5, 2017 - Modern Farmer

Main Street

What Makes a Good Main Street Work?

What Makes a Good Main Street Work? Kaid Benfield uses Corning, New York, to illustrate five key elements.

December 13, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Even Quaint Towns Can Be Cutting Edge

Small towns can teach big cities about effective roadway designs.

November 6, 2016 - Modern Cities

Buffalo

Cars Credited with a Comeback on Main Street

Once only accessible to pedestrians and Metro Rail, Main Street in Buffalo is seeing automobile traffic and business investment again.

June 6, 2016 - The Buffalo News

Retail: Walkable Urban Primer with Southwestern Inspiration

Need some pointers on how to make downtown retail sing? Check out Hazel Borys' crib notes on Bob Gibbs' directions.

March 8, 2016 - PlaceShakers

South Mall Parking Lot

On the Life Cycle of Suburban Malls

Using Greenwood, Indiana as an example, Eric McAfee discusses how the value of individual suburban malls depreciates over time. Shiny new shopping centers compensate for inevitable vacancies in older ones.

November 14, 2015 - Urban Indy

Ikea in Brooklyn

Does Brooklyn Suffer From a Lack of Gas Stations? The Chamber of Commerce Thinks So

For the center of the hipster universe, the Brooklyn Chamber's recommendations may come as a surprise.

November 1, 2015 - Crains New York Business

Houston's Main Street Crosses a Spectrum of Wealth and Poverty

A feature in the Houston Chronicle explores the economic segregation of Houston along the axis of Main Street—with low income neighborhoods like Independence Heights to the north and affluent neighborhoods like Old Braeswood to the south.

July 10, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

Philadelphia Italian market

Three Cities Where New Immigrants Revitalized Main Street

Fusion lists three cities as examples of new immigrants becoming the face of community businesses in neighborhoods needing a boost.

January 14, 2015 - Fusion

Placemaking in Communities of All Sizes

A new article from Smart Growth America portrays the successes of placemaking in communities as diverse as Soldotna, Alaska (population 4,163), Orlando, and Philadelphia.

August 25, 2014 - Smart Growth America

Holiday Cheer Boosts Businesses Along Main Street

Eight years after downtown Rochester sparked a retail resurgence along its Main Street with a holiday light display, small towns across Metro Detroit are following suit to create a sense of place and lure shoppers away from boring big boxes.

December 2, 2013 - The Detroit News

The One About the Parking-Pinched Merchant…

Small business owners who drive themselves nuts arguing against the reuse of on-street parking with other balanced transportation solutions is a shame because there is so much good data to prove it's actually very good for business.

June 3, 2013 - Ian Sacs

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.