Rhode Island is full of beloved village centers, downtowns and “main streets” that are ideal places for communities to gather and small businesses to prosper. However, thriving places don’t happen by accident, and far too many of our commercial corridors fall short of their potential. That’s why Rhode Island needs Main Street RI: a statewide Main Street coordinating program that supports the revitalization, growth and promotion of these great places. 

Main Street Legislation Approved!

Thanks to the RI General Assembly allocating $125,000 for FY 2025-2026 in support of our Statewide Coordinating Main Street program, we recently formalized our partnership with Main Street America to expand our programs and impact. This funding enables us to further build popular programs already underway such as our monthly, virtual Roundtable discussions and launch new initiatives such as our annual Conference and RI Main Street Learning Cohort.

The Main Street RI Coordinating Program

Main Street RI is a hub for communication, collaboration, training, and networking to build stronger, thriving commercial districts across Rhode Island. We are joining a powerful, longstanding nationwide network of Main Street leaders and practitioners. 47 state or regional coordinating programs across 43 states and DC, and 1600 local organizations currently participate in the Main Street America program — the impact is real, and we are bringing this movement to Rhode Island. 

Main Street RI’s Responsibilities and Goals

  • Manage a statewide network of stakeholders and streamline communication about Main Street practices
  • Serve as the official liaisons between Rhode Island and Main Street America’s national network
  • Build local capacity and provide direct technical assistance to interested and under-resourced communities
  • Advocate for policies, programs and standards that benefit and support healthy Main Streets
  • Develop sustainable funding for Main Street groups and projects

The Main Street Program: Demonstrated Results

Main Street America participants have calculated that between 1980 and 2024, Main Street districts around the country have produced the following results:

  • over $115 billion in private and public reinvestment has been generated
  • over 181,647 new businesses have opened
  • 815,894 jobs were created
  • 345,801 buildings have been rehabilitated
  • States with coordinating Main Street programs average approximately $30 of ROI $1 of investment

Get Involved

We are building a movement of interested stakeholders to help us grow this new program. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Sign up for our e-newsletter below.
2. Learn more and register for our free virtual monthly roundtables.
3. Attend our Main Street Together Conference in the fall.
4. Spread the word and share this page with your local leaders.

Follow @MainStreetRI

Our newest episode of Main Street is out now, featuring Dwayne Keys and Helen Baskerville-Dukes from the Mount Hope Community Center Business Alliance (and our RI Main Street Learning Cohort!)

Listen at the link in our bio 🔊🎧🎙️

#mainstreetri #growsmartri

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Our newest episode of Main Street is out now, featuring Dwayne Keys and Helen Baskerville-Dukes from the Mount Hope Community Center Business Alliance (and our RI Main Street Learning Cohort!) Listen at the link in our bio 🔊🎧🎙️ #mainstreetri #growsmartri

Next #MainStreetRI Roundtable:

Asset Mapping: How to Identify Economic Development Assets in Your Main Street

March 5, 2026
12-1PM: ZOOM
Link to Register in Bio

Featuring: Miriam Parson, Main Street America Director of Network Capacity Building, Launch

Asset mapping focuses your economic development strategy on what make your place unique to both residents and visitors.

Assets are what we want to keep, build upon, and sustain for future generations. They can be physical things, like historic buildings or a local park, or cultural assets like a festival or an intergenerational social club.

Join us to learn the Whole Assets Approach with Main Street America. Leave with your own asset map to continue developing with stakeholders back home.

#growsmartri

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Next #MainStreetRI Roundtable: Asset Mapping: How to Identify Economic Development Assets in Your Main Street March 5, 2026 12-1PM: ZOOM Link to Register in Bio Featuring: Miriam Parson, Main Street America Director of Network Capacity Building, Launch Asset mapping focuses your economic development strategy on what make your place unique to both residents and visitors. Assets are what we want to keep, build upon, and sustain for future generations. They can be physical things, like historic buildings or a local park, or cultural assets like a festival or an intergenerational social club. Join us to learn the Whole Assets Approach with Main Street America. Leave with your own asset map to continue developing with stakeholders back home. #growsmartri

Is parking on your mind? If so, you`ll have to attend our next #MainStreetRI Roundtable:

Parking (Part 2): Can Parking Reform Save Our Downtowns?

February 12, 2026, 12-1PM on ZOOM
Featuring: Kevin Lowther and research from the RWU School of Law Housing Policy Lab

Parking is an issue of great interest for Main Street districts, so we’re building on our earlier conversation about Parking Studies to see what the research actually says about parking and what we can do to better manage it.

Last fall, the Roger Williams University School of Law launched a Housing Policy Lab, and parking was one area they explored. One of its inaugural students will share their findings about parking and ideas about possible reforms, especially as they pertain to commercial district activity and the cultivation of new and successful small businesses.

Kevin Lowther is in his final semester as a law student at Roger Williams University. Last semester, he participated in the school’s inaugural housing clinic, where he studied parking reform and wrote state legislation that will be part of the advocacy agenda of Neighbors Welcome. He is an advisory committee member of Neighbors Welcome, a board member of Habitat for Humanity South County and a former Town Counselor and Planning Board member in Westerly, RI.

#growsmartri
@rwulaw
@bigluxviolin

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Is parking on your mind? If so, you'll have to attend our next #MainStreetRI Roundtable: Parking (Part 2): Can Parking Reform Save Our Downtowns? February 12, 2026, 12-1PM on ZOOM Featuring: Kevin Lowther and research from the RWU School of Law Housing Policy Lab Parking is an issue of great interest for Main Street districts, so we’re building on our earlier conversation about Parking Studies to see what the research actually says about parking and what we can do to better manage it. Last fall, the Roger Williams University School of Law launched a Housing Policy Lab, and parking was one area they explored. One of its inaugural students will share their findings about parking and ideas about possible reforms, especially as they pertain to commercial district activity and the cultivation of new and successful small businesses. Kevin Lowther is in his final semester as a law student at Roger Williams University. Last semester, he participated in the school’s inaugural housing clinic, where he studied parking reform and wrote state legislation that will be part of the advocacy agenda of Neighbors Welcome. He is an advisory committee member of Neighbors Welcome, a board member of Habitat for Humanity South County and a former Town Counselor and Planning Board member in Westerly, RI. #growsmartri @rwulaw @bigluxviolin

Grow Smart RI is thrilled to announce the selection of eleven communities for participation in our inaugural Learning Cohort Program as part of our #mainstreetri Initiative!

Main Street RI was established to manage a statewide network of community organizations and individuals with an interest in nurturing vibrant walkable commercial districts, including Main Streets, village centers, and downtowns. The program, which serves as the state coordinating program aligned with the national organization, Main Street America, builds capacity at the local level using the proven and comprehensive “Four Points Main Street Approach” for place-based, community-led economic development. 

Teams from the participating communities in the Main Street Learning Cohort will attend a series of workshops and training opportunities led by Main Street America experts in commercial district design, economic vitality, promotion, and organization. Technical assistance will be provided in the process of developing transformation strategies that draw upon each community’s assets and market opportunities. 

The eleven communities chosen for participation through competitive application include: 

Downtown Pawtucket 

Downtown Woonsocket 

Central Falls 

Providence – Trinity Square 

Providence – Mt. Hope Community Center Business Alliance 

Cranston/Rolfe Square/Knightsville/Edgewood 

Warwick/Conimicut Village/Oakland Beach 

North Kingstown/Wickford Village/Post Road 

South Kingstown/Wakefield 

Richmond/Wyoming/Rt. 138 

Hopkinton/Hope Valley/Ashaway 

Join us in congratulating these communities for taking the first step towards their Main Street transformation!

#growsmartri

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Open post by growsmartri with ID 18105180673741575
Grow Smart RI is thrilled to announce the selection of eleven communities for participation in our inaugural Learning Cohort Program as part of our #mainstreetri Initiative! Main Street RI was established to manage a statewide network of community organizations and individuals with an interest in nurturing vibrant walkable commercial districts, including Main Streets, village centers, and downtowns. The program, which serves as the state coordinating program aligned with the national organization, Main Street America, builds capacity at the local level using the proven and comprehensive “Four Points Main Street Approach” for place-based, community-led economic development.  Teams from the participating communities in the Main Street Learning Cohort will attend a series of workshops and training opportunities led by Main Street America experts in commercial district design, economic vitality, promotion, and organization. Technical assistance will be provided in the process of developing transformation strategies that draw upon each community’s assets and market opportunities.  The eleven communities chosen for participation through competitive application include:  Downtown Pawtucket  Downtown Woonsocket  Central Falls  Providence – Trinity Square  Providence – Mt. Hope Community Center Business Alliance  Cranston/Rolfe Square/Knightsville/Edgewood  Warwick/Conimicut Village/Oakland Beach  North Kingstown/Wickford Village/Post Road  South Kingstown/Wakefield  Richmond/Wyoming/Rt. 138  Hopkinton/Hope Valley/Ashaway  Join us in congratulating these communities for taking the first step towards their Main Street transformation! #growsmartri

Follow Main Street RI on Instagram @MainStreetRI