Due to the pandemic, it has been three years since the Carlsbad Village Association has gotten together, in person, with its fellow California Main Street operators to share best practices, lessons learned, state legislation, and more. This year was, unfortunately, no different, but nearly 100 main street enthusiasts from across the state made the best of it with a two-day virtual conference, hosted by Eureka Main Street.
Over the course of two days, the California Main Street staff presented 16 information-rich sessions featuring 30+ expert speakers. Making our downtowns thrive with successful businesses of all kinds, vibrant events, rich cultural opportunities, meaningful placemaking, and more, were topics discussed.
CVA's Executive Director, Christine Davis, joined veteran program administrators from MainStreet Oceanside and Eureka Main Street on a panel regarding how downtown associations are securing funding to help improve the cleanliness and safety of their communities to provide added benefits to its businesses and residents.
The Heart of Communities
The Main Street movement grew out of a recognition that a community is only as strong as its core. In an era when many people had given up hope about the commercial and cultural viability of downtown, and when suburbs, shopping malls, and big box retailers were dominating the American landscape, this seemed like an unlikely proposition. But, over the last four decades, the Main Street movement has proven that downtowns are the heart of our communities, and that a community is only as strong as its core.
A Movement of Community Changemakers
Main Street empowers communities to set their own destinies. While revitalization is challenging work, the Main Street program offers a road-map for locally-owned, locally-driven prosperity. Across the country, thousands of communities have used the Main Street Approach to transform their economies, leverage local leadership, and improve overall quality of life.
As a Main Street America Affiliate, and member of the California Main Street program, the Carlsbad Village Association is proud to stand beside over 2,000 other member programs committed to place-based economic development nationwide.
The Main Street Impact in California
$7.4 billion reinvested, 6,666 businesses started, 31,979 jobs created, and over 1,500 buildings rehabilitated since 1986.
The Carlsbad Village Association is excited about the vision and direction of the National Main Street America program and the leadership from its state program, and looks forward to bringing more of its principles and practices to light in the work it does on a daily basis.