Advice to those working in small towns
The International Economic Development Council published my article that includes advice too: Survey of Rural Challenges: Results Show Optimism and Big Disconnects, and what economic developers can do about it. The article was about the results from the Survey of Rural Challenges, and some advice to economic developers and others working in rural communities. You…
Small Towns or Big Cities?
Did you know more people are leaving big cities and moving to small towns? Why is that? There are several easy answers: Lower cost of living Recreational offerings like trails, beaches, and mountains Smaller and better schools Safer streets No traffic and shorter commutes to work What are some of the benefits of moving from…
Our Young People are Leaving
In an email, the writer asked: Why are young people leaving their small towns? What can rural communities do, or are doing, to compete? Why are young people leaving? Here’s just a few things people told us in The Survey of Rural Challenges about why youth are leaving: This town experiences many of the same…
Successful economic development involves the arts
The top conclusion of the survey was that rural people were twice as likely to say they were optimistic about their communities’ future as negative. Times they are a’changin. The old ways are no longer working, and new ways are being explored. People are realizing a community is made up of many people, and they…
Folklife in the South Conference – The stories matter
I attended the Folklife in the South Conference in Lake Guntersville, Alabama in June 2023. It was a gathering of community leaders, folklorists, traditional artists, educators, documentarians, and other cultural workers. We came together to hear the stories of work in the field, explore different avenues of folklife in the South and to meet and…
Nonprofit events don’t have to be boring
I’ve been to many small town events and cringe when someone at a booth or table hands me a piece of literature about their non-profit. It doesn’t work to engage me. I probably won’t read it. They’ve given me no real reason to. It will end up in the trash. Some folks throw them on…
We tried an idea
The Survey of Rural Challenges had a place to add comments. We were pleasantly surprised to see how many people shared something related to “we tried an idea.” Here’s a few: New idea for a restaurant: Adding a lunch counter and doing things totally different than anyone else in town. People either love it or…
The Idea Friendly Method works
I read an article today about a small town in Montana putting a mural on the side of an empty building. I commented that it was a great idea and I was happy to see it. Tori Wyman responded with: We clung to your advice from the Idea Friendly Method! The Idea Friendly Method works,…
A visit to a tile factory in Portugal
Federico, a friend from Lisbon, picked me up from the hotel. Our intention for the day was to visit small towns in the Portugal countryside. Lisbon is a major metropolis and driving is just like driving in Chicago. It helps to know where you are going. As we drove the buildings got smaller, and the…
Use the assets you have in your small town
People in small towns often say “there’s nothing to do here.” I beg to differ. You will be surprised by the list of assets you can come up with. Caring people, good schools, local artists are a few assets your town might have. What are other assets? natural resources – like scenic landscapes, waterfalls, rivers…