Main Street is a place in people's minds as well as a physical entity. For decades it was the central place of commercial and social activity in town. It was the backbone of the marketplace in cities and towns across the country, the place where most of the goods and services people needed could be found. When someone said that they where going into town or going downtown, everyone knew where they were headed: Main Street. Today, Main Street is, in part, a memory and often only one of an increasing number of alternatives for local shopping, business location, and social interchange.

How and Why has Main Street Changed:
Suburbanization has exploded the city, scattering not just the houses but all components of the city, including places of business and manufacturing, across a broader landscape. All the roads which once led to Main Street and the central business district have become two-way streets. These now carry traffic away from the downtown area and connect with surrounding roads to serve newer commercial developments. No longer does Main Street have an exclusive claim to being a town's main business district.

Main Street usually retains at least some of its former preeminence, particularly as the location of government offices and financial institutions, which are still well served by a central location. But the fact is that older downtown commercial centers across the country find themselves in various stages of a common transition: each is losing its preeminence as a central place and its relative monopoly on the local trade area; each is falling back to a position where it is only one among a growing number of alternative commercial opportunities. Few merchants know where the transition will lead, or what direction they should take in order to find a better future.

What is Historic Preservation:
Historic Preservation is the conservation of historic significance or architectural value for future generations to enjoy.  More recently, preservation has been directed toward continuing the lives of structures that were once commonplace elements in the lives of past generations.  Main Street's older commercial buildings, for example.  Neglect, abuse and demolition together  have made such buildings increasingly scarce, and they are largely irreplaceable due to the economics of the modern construction industry and the scarcity of the needed skilled craftsmen

What is Economic Revitalization:
Economic revitalization is the reviving of a sluggish or declining economy.  Basically, this entails making a given commercial area more productive or doing more business within that fixed area.  Revitalization requires coordination of a wide variety of improvements, in physical appearance, organization, advertising, merchandising, and operations.