[OMS_MANAGERS] FW: Your New Main Street: Main Street America and the refreshed Main Street Approach

Thu Oct 22 13:02:37 PDT 2015

One of my favorites: I LOVE that they changed Economic Restructuring to Economic Vitality!
Joan
Joan Wessell, EdM, CMSM
Executive Director
Downtown Corvallis Association
PO Box 1536, Corvallis OR   97339
460 SW Madison, Suite 9 Corvallis OR  97333
Voice:  (541) 754-6624
Fax:  (541) 758-4723
Cell:  (541) 740-1326
joan at downtowncorvallis.org <mailto:joan at downtowncorvallis.org>
www.downtowncorvallis.org <http://www.downtowncorvallis.org/>

Downtown Corvallis...just what you're looking for!

> On Oct 22, 2015, at 1:00 PM, STUART Sheri * OPRD <Sheri.Stuart at oregon.gov> wrote:
> 
> FYI – an important announcement from the National Main Street Center!
>  
> From: National Main Street Center [mailto:mainstreetnews at savingplaces.org <mailto:mainstreetnews at savingplaces.org>] 
> Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2015 12:01 PM
> To: STUART Sheri * OPRD
> Subject: Your New Main Street: Main Street America and the refreshed Main Street Approach
>  
> Having trouble reading this email? View it online. <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=jBYNU3l8C02yRttG6uz22A>
> 
> 
> Your New Main Street: Main Street America™ and the refreshed Main Street Approach
> 
> As you may have heard by now, we’ve been busy here at the National Main Street Center working on a number of initiatives that will impact the way we—the Main Street movement—do our work, talk about our cause, and position ourselves within the community revitalization field. Today, we’re excited to share with you the progress we’ve made on the Refresh of the Main Street Approach <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=zBr_ne68mAtSaQNTyB66jg>, as well as launch our new brand – Main Street America™ <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=R1GXfsh855iyrOcq6LQ4bw>.
> 
> Much more than simply a new logo and updated revitalization framework, our goal with these changes is to reinvigorate our collective look, feel, and strategy to position Main Street as a leader locally, regionally, and nationally. Since the early 1980s, Main Street has been at the forefront of the community revitalization movement. Main Streets should be proud of and acknowledge our important role in the downtown renaissance we are enjoying today, characterized by significant numbers of people and businesses moving to be near vibrant commercial corridors, the shop-local movement becoming mainstream, and adaptive re-use projects being viewed as economically viable and attractive to developers, residents and business owners alike. 
> 
> The changes we’re rolling out today, and what you’ll see from us in the coming months, reflect the critical role that Main Streets have played, and will continue to play, in this era of thriving cities and towns. 
> 
> We hope you will be as excited as we are about these changes. With thanks to input from Main Street Coordinators, executive directors, as well as NMSC board, staff, and experts from the community revitalization field, we believe these enhancements are a natural evolution of the great work Main Streets have been doing for more than 35 years.
> 
> Interested in learning more? Read on!
> 
> Main Street Refresh: Strategy, Engagement, and Outcomes  
> 
> Over a year ago, we began a process we called the Four Point Refresh <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=8GLgk-Q1Xrh7y1zGCJ3hjA>. The goal of this work was to fully evaluate the Four Point Approach—Main Street’s long-standing preservation-based revitalization framework consisting of Design, Promotion, Organization, and Economic Restructuring.  We wanted to better understand how it had been working on the ground, how it might evolve to better meet the needs of Main Streets of today, and going forward, how it can best serve the movement as we collectively face the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. You can read more about the process here <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=GjCK6xdYlqrCEjiuvywO9g>.
> 
> Our findings reconfirm the importance and usefulness of the Four Point Approach. In fact, in many ways, new trends in the planning, community development, and historic preservation fields build off principles that are already embedded within the Main Street framework. For example, there is growing recognition that revitalization must be inclusive and representative of the community in order to be sustainable and effective—an idea embraced by Main Streeters for the last 35 years. So too, residents, local policy makers, and developers increasingly understand that a community’s distinctive characteristics and older and historic buildings are its greatest assets, fostering a strong local-business environment with powerful economic and social benefits. These ideas— now becoming mainstream—have long been embraced and implemented by the Main Street network.
> 
> 
> Our research also reveals opportunities for improvement. Surveys and interviews with practitioners, in addition to our on-the-ground experience, show that the nature of the Four Point Approach encourages users to be overly focused on the process itself, sometimes at the expense of long term vision and strategic focus on outcomes. By embracing broad community engagement, a focus on district-specific transformation strategies, and impact measurement, Main Streets have a tremendous opportunity to grow their influence and impact, creating more jobs and enhancing the overall quality of life in a community.
> 
> Building off the strong foundation that the Four Point Approach provides, we’ve developed a ‘beta-version’ of an updated Main Street Approach that places these critical elements—community engagement, comprehensive strategy development, and rigorous outcome measurement—at the forefront. The Four Points will remain a key element of the organizing framework for the implementation of Main Street, but strategy will drive the focus, activity, and outcomes.  Find out more about the preliminary changes here <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=2-IDaaydNu8wTD2BlBztxg>. Over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, we will be working with Coordinating Programs and local Main Streets to refine this framework. We also will be conducting demonstration projects in 10–12 cities across the country to see how the new model works on the ground, develop tailored trainings and services, and incorporate lessons-learned into the finished product.
> 
> We recognize—and embrace—the idea that the Refresh roll-out will be incremental, allowing us to remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the network.  We expect this new approach will integrate easily into the framework and strategy of some programs, and will require a natural period of adjustment for many others. Accordingly, this launch is just the beginning of an ongoing process during which we will be working very closely with Coordinating Programs, local Main Streets, and pilot demonstration sites to ensure that the process, training framework, and support materials fit the needs of those on the ground. Collectively, we will learn as we go, make adjustments, and improve our offerings. 
> 
> To enhance the roll-out of the refreshed Main Street Approach, we’ll release new publications along with training materials, and you’ll have the opportunity to take part in webinars, online courses, as well as in-person trainings to help integrate the new elements of this framework into the work of your program. We are also engaging in work to improve Main Street’s outcome measurement and reinvestment statistic gathering process so we can more accurately and compellingly tell the story of the tangible difference that Main Streets make.
> 
> And of course, we’ll be learning together as we go along, so let us know <mailto:mainstreet at savingplaces.org>what you think, how this works for you, and what questions you have.
> 
> Have questions about the Four Point Refresh? See our FAQ page <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=d0hs7607yX093OyjNxwRjA>.
> 
> Main Street America: A New Look for America’s Main Streets
> 
> In taking stock of the state of Main Street, we consistently heard that Main Streets and Coordinating Programs all across the country struggle with visibility in their region and beyond. Further, the network has communicated a strong desire for the National Main Street Center to take steps to build the national visibility of our work to transform communities. 
> 
> Today, we’re taking a major step in addressing this need. The National Main Street Center is delighted to announce the launch of a new brand for our national network of Coordinating Programs, Main Street communities and districts, and affiliates: Main Street America. Main Street America celebrates the breadth and diversity of our nation-wide network, creates a better system to recognize different levels of achievement, and provides a platform to broaden our movement in scale and impact.  Finally, this fresh new brand will help us to elevate the visibility of our important work all across the country.
> 
> The new logo and tagline communicate a strong connection to our past, while featuring a vibrant, forward looking design and color-scheme.  The mark features four petals (corresponding to each of the Four Points), and a goose-neck lamppost, an iconic Main Street image with which our downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts —be they urban, rural, or in-between—can identify.
> 
> A brand, however, is much more than just a logo; it represents a promise. The new Main Street America is: 
> 
> 
> Dedicated to creating vibrant, people-centered places to live, work, and play;
> United by a commitment to revitalizing historic downtowns and commercial districts, and
> Representative of the great diversity this country has to offer, from small rural towns to busy urban corridors, and everything in between.
> We encourage you to take a look at this slide show <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=KkIqgox1UclUOkBqZUo44Q> that outlines the new brand in greater detail.
> 
> Additionally, a new tier system, which will roll out this winter, will replace the annual Designation/Accreditation process. Ultimately, there will be three tiers: Affiliate, Accredited, and Premier (the Premier level will roll out at a later date). These three tiers will recognize different levels of commitment to revitalization, organizational capacity, and achievement of outcomes in improving downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. You can view an overview of the new tier structure <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=UlEN2um586aAmwVSCXo-rg>.  You can also review the brand guidelines here <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=S67KEOQmzeuR94i3qWZPCw>. Local Main Street programs will be able to begin using the new brand beginning in early 2016, coinciding with the annual designation process.
> 
> The National Main Street Center is committed to elevating the name, reputation, and great work of Main Streets across the country. The refreshed Main Street Approach and the new brand will help us do that, but we can’t do it alone! Being part of Main Street means being part of a national movement and we need everyone’s help in spreading the word. Now equipped with a fresh brand identity, we’re confident the name, look, and messaging around Main Street America will help everyone tell a more compelling, unified, and powerful story about what Main Street is and why it matters.
> 
> We hope you will join us in embracing this new name and look for Main Street. 
> 
> Have questions about our new branding? See our FAQ page <http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=NGX2jWJn9LHEIkon5HJQtg>.
> 
> Over the coming months, you’ll be hearing much more from us about how these changes can enhance your program’s mission, make your work more strategic, and help you tell your story. Stay tuned!
> 
> 
> 
> 
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