Frequently Asked Questions

The Measuring Main Streets platform is a part of the Research Knowledge Initiative program from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. It is developed by the Canadian Urban Institute with support from our partners at Environics Analytics and Open North.

The platform is constructed around four interrelated components:

• an interactive national map of that provides descriptive data for every main street in the country.
• a set of 30 full case studies across 10 regions (Toronto; Montreal; Edmonton) as well as 30 partial case studies (data only).
• a set of analytical research briefs and reports that provide sensemaking and point towards potential policy interventions.
• a set of smart tools and recommendations to inform main street resiliency and future civic infrastructure investment.

The term “main street” represents the commercial and community focal point of a neighbourhood. They offer nearby residents access to shops, retailers, food and drink, and local services. Our definition of main streets split them into two types, 'high density' and 'low density' main streets, which were defined based on density thresholds around main street businesses and civic infrastructure. Learn more about the methodology we use on the Data and Methodolgy page.

Main streets are the backbone of Canadian society, with 85% of Canadians living within one kilometer of a main street. These streets are home to 280,000 businesses, providing 1.9 million jobs and generating $300 billion in annual revenue. They also house over 98,000 community and civic infrastructure assets.

Main streets are the cornerstone of ‘complete communities’, where Canadians can live, work, and play all within their local neighbourhood. They are our economic powerhouses and social connective tissue.

We sourced data from a variety of sources, both open and proprietary. Learn more about the specific datasets used on the Data and Methodolgy page.

The Measuring Main Streets platform is a part of the Research Knowledge Initiative program from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada. It is developed by the Canadian Urban Institute with support from our partners at Environics Analytics and Open North.

CUI used a rigourous, data backed methodology for our identification of main streets, which included continuous iteration and incorporation of feedback from a variety of stakeholders. However, incomplete data or analytical errors could lead to your main street being excluded from the category of ‘main street’. If you have any further questions or would like to identify a missed main street, contact us. Please note that you can still see all of the data associated with your main street using the mapping tool even if it is not visually categorized as a main street by the platform.

The Canadian Urban Institute has used Measuring Main Streets data to produce case studies, reports, and other deliverables for various partners. If you or your organization may be interested in collaborating, please contact us with your specific enquiry.

We conducted 60 case studies in total across the Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton regions, 20 in each region. 10 of the 20 are full case studies which combine data about the main streets with qualitative observation from site visits, whilst the further 10 are data-only. The 20 main streets were intended to provide a representative sample of types of streets within each regional context. This included four downtown (workplace-oriented), four small town, and 12 neighourhood (residential-oriented) main streets being chosen, with additional emphasis placed on equity-deserving communities.

My Main Street is a $15-million investment from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to spur local economic recovery. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) to help support the revitalization of neighbourhoods across southern Ontario.

The program is not directly connected, however the technical infrastructure generated by the Measuring Main Streets project has helped to power the My Main Street program and others at the CUI.