Calgary's many Main Streets and what they say about the city's character

Main Street. The heart of the community.

Every town and city has one, andsome neighbourhoods do too. Calgary has many24,according to city hall.

Quibble about the locations if you will, but main streets matter.

They are places to drinkcoffee with friends, to grab a bite to eat, to pick up a new jacketor just hang out. They are a testament to our character and our culture.

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Over the next few weeks, CBC Radio's The Homestretch will be checking out several of Calgary's main streetsto findout what makes them the hubs of community.

This week we started on Fourth Street S.W.in the Mission district.

The CBC's Doug Dirks talkedto Fracisco Alaniz Uribe a professor at the Urban Lab at the University of Calgary.

The Homestretch7:40Main Streets: What makes Fourth Street in the Mission District so special?

University of Calgary assistant professor Francisco Alaniz Uribe weighs in and explains how main streets in small towns compare to those in the big city.

Take a listen to their conversation.

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Calgary at a Crossroads is CBC Calgary's special focus on life in our city during the downturn. A look at Calgary's culture, identity and what it means to be Calgarian. Read more stories from the series at Calgary at a Crossroads.