One of my favorite things about the Main Street network is hearing all the stories of profound positive change. These stories have drama — and great before and after photos. They show what happens when we work hard to save the places we love, and make them thrive. It’s like taking a fallow field and making it bloom.
But I think there’s something more happening below the surface, and I shared this with the network at our national annual conference in Philadelphia this week.
I think the Main Street work is actually much more like seeding an ecosystem than planting a field crop. Strong ecosystems are balanced, unique, and durable. They can withstand and recover from shocks, and adapt to shifts.
Our downtowns are not fragile, and neither are Main Street organizations. We’ve been around for 45 years and we have adapted and thrived through multiple recessions, a global pandemic, and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. And we’ve endured countless more local things like funding uncertainties and staffing changes. Even as more challenges arise, we’re ready, because Main Streets are built to last.
I see durability in four components of our work. It’s our job to recognize the seeds of this durability in the places we love, and in the organizations we steward, and help it grow.