COMMUNITY
Activator
This program supports high-impact placemaking projects that seek to revitalize neighborhoods and reimagine public spaces including main streets, downtown strips and plazas as vibrant and inclusive places that work for everyone.
Applications for the Community Activator stream are now closed. All applicants have been notified of their results via email.
Events and Activations
Community events of a short, limited or repeating duration intended to draw visitors or create a new local offering, helping position a specific geographic area as a hub of community and economic activity.
Community enhancements
Above grade improvements to a specific geographic area that will enhance its physical and visual appeal, draw people in and increase feelings of safety, connection and community enjoyment.
Streetscape Improvements
Projects that facilitate a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy through intentional and creative placemaking.
My Main Street recognizes that placemaking can help revitalize local main streets, driving economic and social renewal from downtown strips to plazas, and everywhere in between to create stronger connections between people and places.
Funding will be prioritized for projects that will support sustainable placemaking strategies for their geographic area and are designed to support economic and social benefits for equity-deserving groups.
Funding up to $250,000 will be available and provided as reimbursements against completed work. Successful applicants maybe eligible to receive 25 percent of their approved project costs in advance, as required, to help bring their vision to reality.
Evaluation
- Vision
Is the placemaking project clearly defined with a clear geographic area and well-conceived objectives, including those related to equity-deserving populations? Does the project have a clear scope and objective? Does it include an innovative or reimagined activation?
- Capacity
Is there a strong team in place with a well-thought-out plan for successful implementation, a fully costed budget and a clearly articulated plan to measure success?
- Community need
Does the proposed geographic area have a clearly defined need as indexed by historical patterns of retail spend, mobility and demographic representation?
Once applications have been scored, they will be assessed for equitable regional distribution, rural distribution and distribution to traditional underrepresented and equity-deserving groups.
If you have any further questions about the My Main Street Community Activator stream, we encourage you to contact us.
PARTNERS
My Main Street is operated by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
