_Mapping Main Street

There are more than 10,000 streets in the United States named “Main.” When “Main Street” versus “Wall Street” became a talking point in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, following the wake of the financial crisis, a team of radio producers and graduate students set out to document Main Streets across the U.S. Their goal was to showcase the diversity of the country and create a counter-narrative to the political rhetoric. Over the course of a summer, the Mapping Main Street team travelled across America, capturing the stories of hundreds of Main Streets. They also encouraged web visitors to submit stories of their hometowns. Today, more than 800 Main Streets have been documented. Visitors can browse the site by map, through recent contributions, or by entering a particular location. Audio stories, photo slideshows, and videos capture the diversity of America’s Main Streets.