THE RURBAN FRINGE

Do Highway Bypasses Bring Benefits?

My community has gone through several agonizing months of presentations, consultations and the like in order to determine the best possible scenario for a proposed major highway realignment.  I won’t lie, it’s been heated at times, with residents arguing for - and against – the proposals.
But do highway bypasses really create unimaginable damage to communities?  Or are there [...]

Forget Whiz Bang, Focus on Small Bang

In public meetings across the country, many folks are desperately trying to come up with the next “whiz bang” idea to help small communities maintain their local economies. 
It’s tough out there … and it’s bound to get tougher before it gets better.
But wouldn’t it be great if people weren’t encouraged to go down the path of searching for a [...]

Locavesting: Investing in Main Street Instead of Wall Street

Using historical facts and sharp research to make her point, author Amy Cortese explores the concept of investing locally in Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It.
In an interview with Fast Company, she states …
“The crazy thing is it’s easier for most people to invest in a company halfway across the [...]

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 [...]

On the Irish Fringe

I couldn’t resist sharing some further, related photos from a recent trip abroad and, while visiting Ireland, also couldn’t get away from noting that the most thriving Irish communities were those that were diversified in their economic activities … demonstrating that no matter where you live, economic self-sufficiency and growth must come from within.
Approximately 40% of [...]

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