THE RURBAN FRINGE

Small Town Makes a Statement With Signage

When a highway bypass was built around Hooper, Nebraska, residents feared the slow death of their community.  To bring folks back to the town’s core, residents and businesses of Hooper came together to remind travellers of the community’s existence.
“We kind of lost our identity now that the highway didn’t go through town,” said David Hingst, 58, [...]

Farmers Become Ag Educators

In Ontario, a rural leadership and capacity-building project is offering communities, agencies and organizations the opportunity to identify and build the skills of local leaders through a series of relevant program and resource tools.
Part of this project asked rural communities to share what makes their communities great … with Harold and Shelley McPhail – the [...]

Affordable and Appropriate Infrastructure

[ Rural communities want to survive ... and thrive.  That's why Paul Koch's article, Enhancing the Survivability of Your Rural Community, caught my eye as his list offers a number of steps communities can take to help ensure that they remain relevant and vibrant places to live.  With more than 35 years of experience working with various levels [...]

If You Build It, They Might Not Come

Communities struggling to maintain their economies often buy into the belief that if they build it, the people will come.  That is, by focusing on physical improvements, the hope is that consumers, businesses and investors will inevitably flock to town.  Viewed this way, the point is obvious, but many communities have implemented massive physical improvement projects thinking that their work [...]

How A Small Town Hosts 80,000 Guests

Every summer, the small community of Manchester, Tennessee, becomes a thriving metropolis of rockers and concertgoers as the Bonnaroo music festival comes to a nearby farm.  This piece from Governing looks at how the town adapts to the surge.
When Bonnaroo’s not around, Manchester has the lazy feel of Anytown, USA, with a placid little courthouse [...]

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