SAVE OUR HISTORIC MAINSTREETS Inc.

Advocating for Main Streets & Public Spaces that are characterful, lively & economically vibrant.

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Save Our Historic Mainstreets Inc. celebrates

  • Visual detail- sunlight, sandstone and sheltered social spaces, grit, grot and texture, and
  • Best global practice – the long established urban orthodoxy of gentle density, pedestrianisation, greening, public spaces and optimized public transport which have transformed innumerable cities from Copenhagen to Melbourne to Paris to Bogota, and
  • Making cities more prosperous by making them more liveable and characterful.

Rejects

  • Cultural cringe– bland and oversized me-too buildings being forced into much-loved social precincts and prevents Adelaide from fully leveraging its natural advantages for everyone’s benefit.
  • A lack of vision which threatens to destroy our entertainment streets and laneways, our social spaces and culture, sunlight and fun, and all that is attractive and hard-fought about our city. 

Supports

  • High rise buildings when they are zoned to support the city’s character areas by providing density- at an appropriate distance.

“There is no form of economic development of any kind anywhere, on any level, that is more cost effective and with a greater leverage of scarce public resources than is the preservation based commercial revitalization approach known as Main Street.” Jonathon Rypkema

  • ADVOCATING
  • SUPPORTING other main-street groups
  • LINKING to like-minded groups

“Livability is not a middle-class luxury. It is an economic imperative.” Nobel Prize Laureate Robert Merton Solow

“Over the long term, places with strong, distinctive identities are more likely to prosper than places without them. Every place must identify its strongest, most distinctive features and develop them or run the risk of being all things to all persons and nothing special to any……” Solow

We are passionate about the economic vitality of main streets and see it as dependent on their character and attractiveness to people.

By prioritizing pedestrian-friendly spaces and accessible public areas, main-streets foster connection and engagement. Their human scale creates a welcoming atmosphere, encouraging people to linger, interact, and enjoy their surroundings. This approach not only enhances the local economy but also strengthens the social fabric of neighborhoods, making main-streets essential for thriving, liveable cities.

“Historic environments are economic catalysts and repositories for culture and heritage capital that attract businesses and investors, providing them with a competitive edge. By utilising, repurposing and investing in heritage, communities can create vibrant spaces and structures for diverse businesses to thrive in, from tech start-ups, artisanal shops to high street brands. This preserves our heritage while creating economic activity and prosperity.”

HistoricEngland.org.au

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

Jane Jacobs