Fifty years ago, downtown Akron was the thriving center of an industrial city, supporting a mix of small businesses, residents and industry. But like many American Main Streets, downtown Akron's slowly slid into a collection of failed businesses and abandoned buildings. By the 1950s, an exodus began as people moved away from the city and into the suburbs, acquired cars and began shopping closer to where they lived at newly sprouting malls.

A number of "revitalization" plans have been proposed over the years -- the reinvention of downtown Akron is both a work in progress and an ongoing source of anxiety. But why bother with renewal at all? What does a strong Main Street mean to a city and its residents? How does a city justify the special financing and tax incentives that are used to attract new development? Whose interests are met through revitalization? And why is it so difficult to achieve?

Main Street America explores the stories of four different cities -- Akron, Ohio; Port Gibson, Mississippi; Springfield, Illinois; and Portland, Oregon -- each in various stages of rejuvenation and working to overcome problems that have been years in the making.

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