Our Work

This solutions brief, from Fathom Studio, identifies opportunities to use planning and urban design to support the long-term recovery and resilience of main streets.

This solution brief, from J.C. Williams Group, focuses on the role that local business organizations can take to help ensure that main streets remain lively areas of commerce. It presents an analysis of the trends and challenges experienced by retailers and suggests a series of potential actions for supporting the reopening, recovery, and renewal of main street commercial areas.

This memo outlines the differences in provincial commercial property tax approaches in Ontario and BC, and explores how the principle of ‘highest and best use’ affects small businesses.

This Memo highlights how using social media platforms and creating shop local initiatives can rally the community through concentrated local spending efforts.

This Memo outlines the concept of “meanwhile leases”, and takes a look at a pilot project by a Toronto theatre group to turn temporarily vacant spaces into pop-up creative studios for artists.

This Memo looks at the launch of the Ambassador Program by the West End Business Improvement Zone in Winnipeg.

This Memo outlines some of the broad advantages and applications of pop-ups and takes a look at how they have been used to activate struggling main streets and neighbourhoods in different cities.

A pandemic winter could mean embracing the outdoors like never before, but for this to work a concerted effort is needed to ensure public spaces are safe and accessible for everyone.

The “Buy Local with Confidence” report and toolkit supports BIAs, local economic development organizations, and other community leaders to protect local businesses in pandemic situations and bolster activity in their main streets.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on designing space with the needs and desires of diverse users at the core

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on how COVID-19 has affected faith buildings on main street.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on main street commercial real estate.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on how COVID-19 has impacted attitudes about main streets.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative from FBM Planning Studio on rural main streets.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative from the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area on safety and inclusion on main streets.

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on how businesses have ‘gone digital during COVID-19

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative on the impacts of COVID-19 on different types of main streets across Canada

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative documenting responses to the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA)

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative with an at-a-glance summary of the proposed provincial/territorial timelines for re-opening main streets during COVID-19

A short brief from the Bring Back Main Street initiative about what’s at stake for our communities and their main streets during COVID-19.