Abstract
In USA's metropolitan areas, suburban shopping centers have developed since 1950s, and downtowns have declained. But, since 1970s, there are many actions for revitalizing downtowns in USA. The Main Street Program, which is a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is one of programs for revitalizing communities in inner city. Since 1980, over 1,000 of comunities joined this program. The City of Boston was the first city which used to revitalize neighborhoods in inner city. In 1985, the City of Boston adopted Main Street Program to Roslindale Village neighborhood district. This Program focused on land use, housing, open space, the public realm, institutional growth, transportation and urban design. Roslindale has experienced steady revitalization and recently received a Main Street award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This award acknowledges the neighborhoods efforts for historic and aesthetic preservation in conjunction with local economic revitalization. In 1995, the City of Boston applyed this program to ten neighborhoods in inner city. In 2003, twenty-three neighborhoods in inner city joined the Boston Main Street Program. This program not only revitalized retail shops in inner city but also supported new businesses and expanded local businesses by improving the business environment in neighborhoods. Community residents and businesses located in those neighborhoods have the tight partnership in this program. This created the identities of those neighborhoods and sustained community.
