Abstract

This chapter takes a broadly chronological view of the evolution of high street/main street in Europe and in the United States of America. As shops became widespread in the late medieval and early modern periods, a recognisable high street emerged and evolved. Between 1700 and 1850, the high street became a place of display and leisure where shopping, shop window browsing and socialising flourished. 1850 to 1970 was the era of the classic high street/main street when the mix of large stores and independent shops dominated shopping and drew consumers into the downtown areas of both American and European cities. American main street is explored in some depth. Finally, current issues around the decline or possible demise of high street are discussed. Is there a future for high street/main street as shopping moves away from urban centres into out-of-town shopping malls or into the virtual world of the Internet