Main Street RI Roundtables
Join us for a series of free virtual presentations and discussions focused on Rhode Island’s commercial districts – our downtowns, Main Streets, and neighborhood centers. Each session will explore a topic related to making these places stronger – as community gathering places and thriving locations for small businesses.
Made By All: Warming Up to Winter Placemaking
PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES WEBINAR
Thursday December 5, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online (discounted $10 Ticket direct to PPS)
-or- attend our in-person Watch Party for FREE
30 Exchange Terrace, Providence RI
REGISTER HERE
For our December Roundtable, we’re excited to partner with Project for Public Spaces in offering access to their webinar exploring Winter Placemaking: “Made By All: Warming Up to Winter Placemaking”.
As shared by PPS: Reimagine your winter landscapes in this webinar on winter placemaking for public spaces. We’ll explore fun, innovative strategies in enhancing community engagement and experience during the chilliest months of the year. Draw inspiration from cities that are transforming their public areas into vibrant, welcoming environments with outdoor activities, social gatherings, and seasonal celebrations—despite the cold! Our expert panel will share insights on the unique challenges and opportunities that winter brings and highlight case studies of communities that have turned their public spaces into lively wintry hubs.
Past Roundtables Archive
The Changing Face of Retail Space in Commercial Districts
Thursday October 31, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online via Zoom
View the Recording HERE
Additional Resources HERE
Restaurants are rebounding on Main Street. How do we spark retail? Join us for our Halloween roundtable on the scary hurdles faced by small businesses, and innovative ways we can build local retail to strengthen RI communities.
Businesses are grappling with issues like shifting consumer and labor behavior. We’ll flesh out these barriers and discuss ideas to bring shoppers and their hard-earned dollars back to our communities.
Facilitator: Jo Lee, Partner, Pop Up Rhody
Presenters: Leslie Moore of the Black Block in Pawtucket; Jan Dane of Stock Culinary Goods in Providence
Parking (PART ONE): Parking Studies/Wickford
September 26, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online via Zoom
View the recording HERE.
One of the first questions always asked when we bring up Main Street is “what about parking?!” Of course, it always seems like there’s never enough parking in a commercial district, even when our goal is to create a walkable area. But how do we know whether that is really the case? Enter the parking study – the first step in making data-driven decisions about access and transportation, including parking management. North Kingstown recently undertook such a study in historic Wickford Village. With their now completed study as an example, we’ll discuss the what, why, and how of doing a Main Street parking study.
Presenters:
Nicole LaFontaine & Ben Mandel, North Kingstown Department of Planning and Development
John Shevlin, CEO, Pare Corporation
Get People Walking: Creative Ways to Enhance Main Street Walkability
(Walking Paths, Clubs, Tours, Signs, Art, Play, and More)
August 29, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online via Zoom
View the recording HERE, see the slides HERE, read the chat HERE and check out our walking incentives ideas and inspiration here.
Birds fly, fish swim, and people WALK! Whether for exercise, recreation, education, or any other reason, walking is natural and healthy, and Rhode Islanders have encouraged walking in our Main Streets in many creative ways! Walkable commercial districts also attract more customers for their small businesses. For the summer sessions, we thought it would be fun to explore many of these good (non-infrastructure) ideas and programs (we’ll talk about pedestrian safety infrastructure in another session.) All participants are encouraged to come prepared to talk about any examples of these “walking incentives” from their own communities and participate in the discussion!
Presenters:
Grow Smart RI
Windows on Pawtucket
Downtown Providence Parks Network
Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative
Street Trees: Super Heroes of Main Street
Thursday, August 1, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online via Zoom
View Recording HERE and the meeting’s chat HERE.
They sure look nice, but we’re told they’re expensive to maintain and ruin the sidewalks. However, the benefits of street trees more than make up for any challenges! In commercial districts, trees provide shade for walkability, reduce the temperature on hot days, slow traffic, and have even been correlated with lower stress as well as higher sales for nearby businesses! Discuss how to plan for and finance tree planting, as well as how to plant and care for trees in urban areas, what needs to be considered, and options for your Main Street to benefit from these super heroes.
Presenters:
Jim Vandermillen, Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Central Falls
Jacq Hall, Special Projects Coordinator, Groundwork RI
Healthy Main Streets: A Discussion of Gil Peñalosa’s Keynote Presentation
Thursday, June 13, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Online via Zoom
View Recording HERE and access the Meeting’s chat HERE.
Click HERE to view the presentation being discussed and learn more at 880Cities.org.
Did Gil Peñalosa’s keynote address at the 2024 Power of Place Summit leave you inspired? Are you excited to talk about implementing his suggestions in Rhode Island? Do you want to get started helping our Main Street districts and neighborhood centers become healthier and more vibrant places? Join Grow Smart RI for our very first Main Street RI virtual roundtable!
Moderated by Jillian Finkle, Grow Smart RI and Kristin Read, Director, Warren Health Equity Zone
A Huge Thank You to Our Title Sponsor:
With additional support from our program sponsors:
