Department of Housing and Community Development

Question: What took 89 years for the telephone; 38 years for the television; and 14 years for the cell phone? The answer? How long it took for each of these communication devices to be adopted by 150 million users. In only five years Facebook has attracted more than 175 millon users – and it’s not … More New media

Economic gardening: Part I

February 13, 2009

Over the past two decades, communities across the country have begun fostering economic growth from within using a technique called economic gardening. This technique is a response designed to reduce dependence on the traditional targets of economic development – large industry. The benefits of an entreprenuerial society are immense. Number one among them – profits from … More Economic gardening: Part I

Postcards from Main Street

February 11, 2009

If the New York Times last week was any indication, there’s a growing big-city awareness of the special value of small-town places. First, Roberta Smith’s review of a current exhibition of postcard images of small towns at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (“Main Street Postcards as Muse,” Feb. 5) uses late photographer Walker Evan’s collection … More Postcards from Main Street

23 ideas for tough times

February 4, 2009

Helping the downtown merchants is one of the most important functions of a Main Street organization. At the recent Virginia Main Street (VMS) Designated Community Managers’ Retreat, several VMS communities reported that their retailers had a successful 2008 holiday season with increases in sales over 2007. While much of the increase was because the downtown merchants … More 23 ideas for tough times

Old Town Manassas is “There”

February 3, 2009

The staff of Virginia Main Street are often asked, “What makes downtown so special?” It is hard to put into words the feeling of comfort, nostalgia and, more than anything, the excitement of a thriving downtown district. Thankfully, we occasionally get some assistance. This time, it is from the Piedmont Virginian, a quarterly publication focusing on … More Old Town Manassas is “There”

Welcome to Virginia Main Street!

January 22, 2009

Welcome to the Virginia Main Street blog. This space is devoted to making downtown and community development information available to you in an easy to use format. We post articles regularly, so stay up to date by bookmark ing this page in your browser, signing up for an rss feed, or subscribing using the form at right have content … More Welcome to Virginia Main Street!

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January 22, 2009