Measuring

Main Streets

Using a data-driven approach, Measuring Main Streets explores what’s working, what’s not and what’s next for Canada’s main streets, empowering city builders from the neighbourhood to the national scale.

Main Street Map

Reports

Case Studies

Tools

Why Main Streets?

Main streets are the backbone of Canadian society.

Vibrant main streets create thriving neighbourhoods, thriving neighbourhoods produce healthy cities, and healthy cities underpin a prosperous country.

85%

of Canadians live within 1km of a main street

280,000

Main Street Businesses

1.9 million

jobs provided

$300 billion

in annual revenue

98,000

civic infrastructure & community assets

Why Now?

Main streets require urgent attention and investment.

Across three key social themes, we found that main street scale investments offer high-impact oppurtunities to effect change in Canadians' lives. When compared to the 'traditional' way of investment based on asset class, this new model founded in a neighbourhood context enables meaningful change.

Equity

Resiliency

Community

Canada is Stronger Together

The Measuring Main Streets platform was realized through the Research Knowledge Initiative program from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. The Canadian Urban Institute leveraged partners at Environics Analytics and Open North to produce the first ever national-scale main street assessment platform in the face of urgent needs across the country.

Discover Canada's Main Streets

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions or enquiries about the platform? Read the FAQ or learn more about the Platform.

Methodology and Data

Read our Methodology & Data Sources.

Contact Us

You can also reach out to us directly via the Contact page.

The Measuring Main Streets platfrom (part of the Research Knowledge Initiative program from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada) was developed by the Canadian Urban Institute in partnership with Environics Analytics and Open North.