There has been a meteoric growth in the number of coworking spaces in the United States, from an estimated 14 in 2007 to more than 11,000 in 2017. The number is expected to balloon to over 26,000 by 2020! This growth has mirrored the growth of workers working in the “gig” economy, with an estimated … More Coworking Spaces: The new office space for the future of work
At the recent 2018 Downtown Intersections in Harrisonburg, we continued the tradition of acknowledging outstanding achievements in comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts through Merit Awards. They recognize the hard work, dedication and success of Virginia’s Main Street communities and their achievements across the four point of the Main Street Approach®. This is the third in a … More Recognizing the Hard Work on Main Street: Sandwich Sampler Competition
While you were busy making a difference in your hometown, you might have missed these thought-provoking reads. Attraction, expansion and retention of businesses for your Main Street district is vital. It is also one of the most difficult things for a community to successfully accomplish. It takes hard work, planning and follow-through. Here is a … More The District Digest Vol. 4 – Downtown Ideas to Put to Work
Danville’s Main Street program – the River District Association – is a FINALIST for the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Street campaign! You are invited to #VoteYourMainStreet from NOW until Oct. 26 to decide which historic sites along 20 of America’s favorite Main Streets should receive $2 million in preservation funding from American Express. Partners in … More Vote Your Main Street!
There is much confusion about the difference between incubators and accelerators, as the prevalence of both types of spaces has dramatically increased over the past 10 years. While both may provide entrepreneurs with similar services such as office space, capital, mentorship and other resources, there are several differences between the two. Incubators generally do not … More Accelerators: Taking Businesses to the Next Level
At the recent 2018 Downtown Intersections in Harrisonburg, we continued our tradition of acknowledging outstanding achievements in comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts through Merit Awards. They recognize the hard work, dedication and success of Virginia’s Main Street communities and their achievements across the four points of the Main Street Approach®. This is the second in a … More Recognizing the Hard Work on Main Street: The Friendly City Fortune
Do your residents and stakeholders feel engaged in their community? Do they feel heard and included? And how does their engagement translate into stronger organizations and programming? On Oct. 1, from noon-1 p.m., Virginia Main Street is offering a free webinar focused on a researched and field tested civic engagement method to build, stronger, healthier, … More Webinar – Heart and Soul Field Guide: Fostering a Participatory Community
At the recent 2018 Downtown Intersections in Harrisonburg, we continued our tradition of acknowledging outstanding achievements in comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts through Merit Awards. They recognize the hard work, dedication and success of Virginia’s Main Street communities and their achievements across the four points of the Main Street Approach®. This is the first of a … More Recognizing the Hard Work on Main Street: CenterFuse Co-working
How can your downtown function better for residents, merchants, and visitors? And how do you identify opportunities in the physical environment to make your town a destination, drawing customers and revenue to the area? On Oct. 11, 17, and 18 in Bristol, Blackstone and Gloucester, the fall edition of the Regional Rev Up promises to … More Regional Rev Up: Opportunity Analysis – Effective Design
Singer-songwriter Dar Williams launched Virginia Main Street’s Finding Main Street book club at the 2018 Downtown Intersections with a performance and talk on “Thinking in Bridges.” “We think we have so much divisiveness,” she said. “But the opposite of divisiveness is not unity. It is collaboration.” Williams found plenty of collaboration in the successful communities profiled … More Host a Finding Main Street book club
Virginia Main Street 