Placemaking Strategies to Strengthen Downtown

Working with University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts, a process of using both demographic data analysis and community observations will be conducted as a pilot in preparation for a reoccurring studio workshop with Illinois Main Street communities.  From Mid-May – Mid-June students will conduct an assessment of community business development strategies,  intercept surveys or other techniques design to garner public opinion, demographic analysis, identification of 1-2 comparable community case studies,  develop a core set of recommendations for community consideration.  Final report will be presented to the local community Main Street Board or provided in a Town Hall style meeting.  

Students will visit Canton for the first time on Friday, May 23 as they initiate the one month studio workshop.

WHO:             Canton Main Street in partnership with University of Illinois Extension
WHAT:          Studio Workshop
WHEN:          Friday, May 23 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:        MidAmerica National Bank, 100 W. Elm St. Canton, IL 61520

Illinois Main Street Program has as its mission the development and promotion of the unique character of each member community’s marketable assets and creation of new business development opportunities.  Maintaining and revitalizing a downtown plays a critical role in overall economic development strategies, as a vibrant downtown infrastructure not only represents good use of land and infrastructure resources, it can also be a powerful tool spurring new business development.

This program is part of a new programming partnership.  Canton Main Street is a pilot programming initiative of the University of Illinois Extension and Illinois Main Street.