CityTalk Live Webinar
5 Key Takeaways
1. Inclusive Retail Builds Belonging and Strengthens Community
Priya Mohan, founder of sariKNOTsari in Hamilton, exemplifies how small businesses can be powerful engines of community and connection. What began as a modest operation in the basement of another shop has grown into a vibrant storefront on James Street North—thanks in part to support from the My Main Street program. Her boutique transforms upcycled silk saris from India into size- and age-inclusive clothing that celebrates sustainability, individuality, and beauty. But the true heart of her business lies in its role as a social hub. During the pandemic, Priya expanded virtually—hosting live broadcasts and one-on-one style consultations that kept her community engaged and growing. Her “Sari Sisterhood” now spans Canada and the U.S., with customers forming friendships and organizing in-person meetups through online groups. The My Main Street grant helped her install cooling fans for customer comfort and convert the basement into a dedicated studio, blending physical and digital spaces into a seamless community experience. Priya’s approach reflects an “economy of belonging,” where commerce is rooted in care, culture, and trust. Her business uplifts a demographic often overlooked by mainstream fashion while nurturing a vibrant, inclusive community on and offline. As she puts it, “It’s not about the clothes … it’s about the people.” sariKNOTsari is more than a shop—it’s a place of joy, identity, and connection, showing how local businesses can play a transformative role in strengthening community bonds.
2. Main Streets as Community Living Rooms: A Vision for Public Space and Local Retail
Architect, planner, and Canadian Urban Institute fellow Dorian Moore offered a compelling vision of main streets as more than commercial corridors. Describing them as the “city’s living room,” he framed these spaces as inclusive, shared environments where people connect, gather, and build community. In this view, main streets are not merely transactional zones but vital public realms—central indicators of a city’s health and cohesion. “They belong to everyone, as opposed to individual neighbourhoods or districts,” he noted, underscoring their democratic and unifying role. Drawing on his experience in Detroit and through ventures like Pure Detroit, Moore highlighted the transformative potential of small-scale, locally rooted businesses. He emphasized the need to reimagine streets as North America’s primary public spaces, where underused storefronts and vacant lots can be revitalized through temporary uses, pop-ups, and collaborative retail. He also challenged development norms that prioritize large, chain-oriented spaces, advocating instead for subdivided, flexible commercial units as small as 200–400 square feet. These micro-retail environments lower barriers for entrepreneurs and support more dynamic, accessible ecosystems of local commerce. Moore’s vision extended beyond physical design to a cultural shift—one that values and nurtures what is distinctive about each place. Thriving main streets, he suggested, emerge when communities prioritize trust, adaptability, and local identity—when investments reflect what is unique about a place and give back in meaningful, lasting ways.
3. Community-Driven Placemaking Transforms Public Space and Strengthens Local Economies
Nathalie Carrier, Executive Director of the Vanier Business Improvement Area (BIA) in Ottawa, demonstrates how small-scale, community-focused investments can have a lasting impact—especially when they are rooted in local culture, trust, and inclusion. Representing a diverse neighbourhood with significant Indigenous, Inuit, Francophone, and newcomer populations, Nathalie has led efforts to transform underused spaces into vibrant, welcoming gathering places. Through the My Main Street program, her team turned a previously overlooked parking lot into a dynamic event hub. This modest investment funded essential infrastructure—tables, seating, and equipment—that continues to support free programming, such as weekly music nights, community dinners, and cultural festivals. “It allowed us to test something,” she explained, “and when it worked, we could prove its value and build on it.” Nathalie emphasizes that economic development often follows when people feel connected and proud of their community. Innovative events like “Partage,” a long-table dinner held in a historic cemetery, showcase creative approaches to placemaking—using unconventional spaces to foster connection, pride, and shared identity. These initiatives don’t just animate the space; they create a sense of belonging and lay the groundwork for broader revitalization. Beyond event programming, Nathalie advocates for city planners and developers to prioritize smaller commercial units suited to local entrepreneurs, rather than oversized spaces designed for national chains. Her work illustrates that meaningful transformation happens when communities are empowered to invest in themselves—and when public spaces are valued as essential civic assets rather than leftover land.
4. Flexible Spaces and Smart Design Strengthen Local Economies
Markie Tuckett of Timber and Plum Kitchens and Cabinetry in Windsor illustrated how small businesses can shape both the built environment and the social fabric of main streets. Her cabinetry and design showroom—established in a formerly vacant space—serves not only as a client meeting space but also as a venue for community workshops, networking events, and pop-ups. This multifunctional use of space reflects a growing trend where local businesses act as social infrastructure as much as commercial enterprises. Support from the My Main Street program allowed Markie to make key improvements to her storefront, helping to expand her visibility and outreach. Though not a typical retail space, her illuminated, street-facing showroom invites engagement through design and foot traffic, especially at night. This creative approach turns passive onlookers into future clients, highlighting the power of thoughtful, approachable design in activating commercial corridors. Markie’s experience also underscores broader challenges—such as access to affordable, appropriately sized commercial spaces—that can limit opportunities for local entrepreneurs. As co-chair of her Business Improvement Area, she advocates for solutions that prioritize small, flexible units over large-format, chain-oriented developments. Her story reflects a broader shift in how small businesses contribute to local economies: not just by providing services, but by activating space, building networks, and creating a sense of place. In doing so, they demonstrate that economic resilience and community connection are deeply intertwined on Canada’s main streets.
5. Policy Reform and Micro-Investments Are Key to Revitalizing Main Streets
Across the panel, a consistent theme emerged: small, strategic investments—whether in physical upgrades, public space activation, or entrepreneurial support—can catalyze profound economic and social transformation on main streets. From Priya Mohan’s store upgrades and community-building through fashion, to Markie Tuckett’s multifunctional design showroom, to Nathalie Carrier’s conversion of a parking lot into a thriving event hub, each example demonstrated how even modest funding can unlock long-term value when rooted in community needs. All panellists emphasized the importance of local ownership, flexibility, and trust. Whether through activating unconventional spaces, creating inclusive retail environments, or advocating for smaller, more adaptable commercial units, their stories pointed to a broader shift: revitalization is not driven by large-scale developments or top-down policies alone, but by empowering local people to shape the spaces they know best. As Dorian Moore argued, the future of main streets lies in reimagining them as public spaces—shared “living rooms” where economic activity, cultural expression, and community connection intersect. This means not just funding businesses or events, but also reforming outdated zoning rules, removing red tape, and designing spaces that welcome experimentation and diversity. Together, the panellists made a compelling case: when communities are given the tools, trust, and autonomy to invest in themselves, main streets become more than economic corridors—they become engines of resilience, creativity, and belonging.