抄録
This article presents case studies aimed at clearing the role of design guidelines for downtown revitalization on main street programs in local cities in the United States. Author pointed out six important roles of the design guidelines for downtown revitalization as follows ; beginning from many small building improvements, making for citizen's consensus, historic preservation as design symbols, easily understanding the guidelines for citizen, design strategy for competition with shopping mall, relating with financial programs. These design strategies are lack in the downtown revitalization program in Japanese local cities.