Part 1 of 3: Framing the Issue, Local Context and Support Matters
This blog is one of my first explorations of community and economic issues in the Eastern Sierra. In the coming months, I'll share short articles on key topics in community and economic development, featuring case studies, emerging trends, and conversations with experts in the field.
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This post is the first in a three-part series on downtown revitalization in rural communities. I hope it provides useful context and sparks ideas for efforts in the Eastern Sierra.
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Introduction
In small town America, people love talking about Main Street. Main Street represents more than just a commercial corridor for locals and tourists. It's a symbol of the history and character of the community. It reflects the rise and fall of industries, the struggles of family-run businesses, and the role of local government in shaping public spaces. Planners and policy wonks love to analyze Main Streets. They use terms like “placemaking,” “retail leakage,” “visitor experience,” “infill development,” “bulb-outs,” and “Bypasses.” For many specialists and observers, “Revitalization” is a catch-all term for the possible actions and outcomes that could make or remake Main Street and the community that surrounds it.
The Eastern Sierra is no exception. When I arrived here in Fall 2023, I started talking with local economic developers and other officials. Commercial corridors were a frequent topic of conversation. People have their favorite stores and restaurants. They argue about the best burgers and burritos. Upstart public and private Main Street projects invite hope for more good eats and places to hang out. Social media is full of speculation about the arrival of big box retailers. Local civic organizations and their members express hope and concern about stagnation and derelict buildings while holding out hope for the possibilities and opportunities. Local policymakers have grappled with these issues. The Town of Mammoth Lakes completed a Downtown Neighborhood District Plan and a Main Street Implementation Plan around 2010. The Town has revamped several of its shopping centers and erected major affordable housing projects. The City of Bishop successfully adopted a downtown mixed-use plan and a site-specific plan for Whitney Alley. The mixed-use plan resulted in zoning changes and design guidelines to encourage housing development and improve the overall downtown experience.
But planning efforts aren't the only efforts guiding Main Street. Local Chambers of Commerce, civic clubs, and regular conversation among residents and officials shape public discourse. Officials and residents alike are asking big questions: how do we understand the breadth of community desires for downtowns? How do we support small businesses on Main Street? How do we make places accessible and fun for locals and tourists alike?
Insights for the Eastern Sierra
I thought I'd enter the fray. I dug into the policy and academic research and talked to some folks in my network. Here's what I found.
1. No single policy or grant program will catalyze revitalization. Concerted, community-led initiatives over a long time are essential.
No single magic policy or grant will single-handedly revitalize a downtown. The places that successfully got community buy-in and transformed their Main Streets did so through long-term community-led efforts involving businesses, property owners, residents, and local civic organizations. These efforts fundamentally required lots of community and official support over many years. For many, it's a labor of love on nights and weekends.
A study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Downtown Revitalization in Small and Midsized Cities, outlines key strategies. These include financial incentives, including mixed-use and infill overlays, adaptive reuse, housing incentives, density bonuses, and other financial incentives like fee waivers and land acquisition programs. But land-use policies and fiscal incentives aren't enough. Workforce development, entrepreneurship programs, and arts programs also play a role. Some communities have attracted young professionals and retirees through lifestyle and livelihood initiatives, such as arts programs, cultural district designations, internships in local businesses, forgivable business loans, and entrepreneurship training programs.
2. A market niche representing a shared local vision is crucial for rural tourism economies; improvements and infrastructure should follow projected business tenancy.
Successful Main Streets carve out a distinct market niche that reflects local character. This is important for rural tourism economies, where uniqueness drives visitation. Local preferences matter at least as much. Where residents want to shop and eat is crucial to sustaining Main Street.
I reviewed multiple downtown and corridor plans from California and across the U.S. and found that many follow a playbook for revitalization planning. Planners engage community members, coupled with traffic flow and walkability assessments and recommendations for building design and streetscaping enhancements. While these plans highlight common strategies, such as industry data analysis and community-driven priority setting, many lacked deep business and market research.
That was surprising, given that policy literature indicates organizing around market segments (or "clusters") is key to establishing a community's niche, particularly in tourism economies where uniqueness drives visitation. As one economic development executive noted, investments in infrastructure or building improvements only make sense when they align with the types of businesses that will succeed there.
A community-led planning process should incorporate community preferences and market data to identify viable business opportunities. If small businesses, property owners, and community members craft a shared vision, the policies, investments, and physical improvements can follow. In short, a business case about eventual tenants must be made and endorsed by community stakeholders broadly before specific policies or physical improvements take place.
3. Local context shapes the economic benefits resulting from revitalization.
Main Street revitalization doesn't always translate into increased sales tax, business starts, population increases, or housing development. Academic research suggests that the benefits of revitalization depend heavily on local context–factors like demographics, regional economic make-up, and how programs are implemented. One author points out that downtown living in rural areas may only appeal to specific segments: retirees drawn to lifestyle benefits, young people looking to reduce costs, and older residents seeking convenience.
Van Leuven studied job creation and business formation in nearly 500 communities that participated in Main Street programs in several Midwestern states and concluded that there was no benefit in four of the five states. The takeaway? Main Street programs aren't one-size-fits-all. He writes, “Main Street Program participation effects are not generalizable across states and that implementation and local context matter.” However, Van Leuven did find that revitalization often led to rising housing values and intangible benefits like increased community pride and civic engagement. Iowa was an exception in Van Leuven's study, and an older study by Susan Bradbury, which found that revitalization efforts in Iowa's towns of fewer than 5,000 residents led to higher retail sales and modest increases in business creation.
Up Next: Main Street Strategies in Action
Next up in this series, I'll dive into insights from interviews with practitioners and key takeaways from Brookings Institution research on Main Street revitalization in rural Midwest communities. I'll also explore the role of downtown associations and the California and national Main Street programs.
Stay tuned—there's more to come!