The Belonging Barometer
After a robust pilot initiative in partnership with four local Main Street Communities, an opportunity to hire a research intern and conduct additional on-the-ground analysis and data collection, and partnership collaborations to imagine next steps, the Washington Main Street team encourages continued statewide discussion through the publication of “Belonging in the Evergreen State: Understanding Sense of Belonging in Washington State’s Main Street Communities.”
This report is the culmination of a year-long research initiative, as well as a call to action and a toolkit with approachable concepts for intentionally increasing community members’ sense of belonging on and through Main Street.
Main Street is both a physical place and a community-based organization—both are opportunities for increasing connection, belonging, and inclusion. We believe—and the research outlined in this report confirms—both that Main Streets are already making positive social impacts and that there is much more that must be done.
Where We Started
For nearly 50 years, the Main Street movement has measured its impact in terms of historic buildings saved, small businesses opened, and monetary investment. These measures are extremely meaningful to local communities, but they don’t tell the full story.
For the last several years, sparked in part by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s declaration of the epidemic of loneliness and subsequent Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, we have been asking ourselves questions like, “(How) is Main Street already creating positive social impact, in addition to well-documented economic impact?” and “How can we more intentionally and actively move the needle on increasing social connection in our communities?”
These questions come from a deep belief in the power of the grassroots nature of the Main Street Approach, which is designed to engage a broad swath of community members and provide a framework for pulling in the same direction to achieve local goals. We had seen the Approach help to steady communities through multiple economic crises; didn’t it also have the potential to play a positive role in our current social crisis of loneliness?
Utilizing the American Immigration Council’s Belonging Barometer, we embarked on a year-long journey to pilot the survey tool and conduct additional research related to belonging and representation in four Main Street Communities. We found that two things are simultaneously true: Main Streets are already contributing to positive social impact and there is much more that must be done to more equitably support belonging through our work.
Where This Takes Us
As a first-of-its-kind snapshot of belonging in Main Street, this report is both a benchmark and a call to action: for us at the Washington State Main Street Program and for Washingtonians statewide who care deeply about their downtowns and their communities. We embarked on this research with a few long-term goals in mind: to expand our metrics of success to include social impact, to enhance equity in belonging initiatives, and to align community outreach efforts with our intended outcomes. In other words, to understand how we can measure belonging in our Main Streets in order to better cultivate it in the long term and enhance community and social health.
In adding to the growing body of literature on place-based belonging, we also hope that it can have ripple effects, serving as a model for how state programs and local organizations can measure belonging, particularly in the world of Main Street. Just as the Belonging Barometer invited us into this line of research, so we extend that invitation to you.
As we aim to build on the momentum of this pilot, we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us: What additional recommendations do you have for cultivating belonging in our historic downtowns? Why does belonging matter to you?
As we accept this call to action, Main Street stake-holders across Washington can embrace “Main Streets are for everyone” not just as a slogan but as an action.
Together, we can work toward building communities where everyone belongs.
Gratitude
We are indebted to Over Zero and the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council for their report, “The Belonging Barometer: The State of Belonging in America,” which both inspired and guided our own research.
We are indebted to Nick Vann for introducing us to the Belonging Barometer, co-developing the concept for this pilot, and serving as a thought partner and reviewer throughout.
Our research and project framework were guided by the research team at Main Street America. Mike Powe and Emi Morita of Main Street America consulted on the vision for this pilot project, led the survey research, and provided critical insights and advice throughout the process.
This report would not have been possible without generous support from the Washington State Historical Society’s Diversity in Local History program, which awards grants for paid internships that support inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility initiatives at heritage organizations that increase the stories they tell and the communities they serve.
Liz Arias, Main Street Representation and Belonging Research Intern (funded by the Washington State Historical Society’s Diversity in Local History program), led the analysis, interviews, historical and contextual research, and writing of this report. Shona Bell McCarthy and Lydia Felty designed this report.
And last, but certainly not least, we share immense gratitude to the four pilot communities and their Executive Directors, without whom this initiative wouldn’t have gotten off the ground:
- Teresa Chanes, Ellensburg Downtown Association
- Ellen Gamson, Mount Vernon Downtown Association
- Rosa Pulido, Wenatchee Downtown Association
- Annalee Tobey, Experience Chehalis
Photos at top of page courtesy of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association, Ellensburg Downtown Association, Experience Chehalis, and Wenatchee Downtown Association.