A house is shown in the framing stage, with the stud walls up. A stack of lumber sits in front of it.

Ideas to get past opposition to new housing

At the IEDC International Economic Development Council’s Annual Conference, my topic was Overcoming Divisiveness. In the group discussion, we took on one attendee’s challenge related to housing. You might be facing opposition to housing, too, so I wanted to share our group insights. Her community has an old auto racetrack that they’d like to revitalize….

A dozen ideas for filling empty buildings in small towns

A dozen ideas for filling empty buildings in small towns

People ask Deb Brown and me, “What would business would work in a small town?” or “What business does every small town need?” or “How can we fill all these empty buildings?” The questions are all related. 1. Try a pop-up. Set up a temporary store, restaurant, cafe, interactive experience, etc., just for the busy…

A senior man with white hair is seated on a folding chair on the curb in a small downtown. He's applauding for a marching flag group with diverse kids in a parade.

Turn complainers into the Pillars of the Community

What do you do about the people who just complain about everything but don’t ever take any action? That was one of the questions when I visited Caldwell, Kansas, recently. Here’s my advice: Recruit them to join the Pillars of the Community: to show up and encourage people. They can show up with their lawn…

Geoffrey Canada with Maryland Governor Wes Moore seated on a stage with state, province and territorial flags in the background.

Hope is as infectious as despair

That headline–hope is as infectious as despair–came from Geoffrey Canada, of the Harlem Children’s Zone, speaking at the recent Council of State Governments East Annual Conference. You know I’m always taking notes, looking for ideas we can adapt from big cities and small towns to our own communities. I liked that statement about hope so…

Exactly what our communities need right now

Exactly what our communities need right now

I just spent 30 minutes re-listening to the audio version of our Building a Unified Community. This is still exactly what we need right now.  You build a stronger community through experiences that bring people together from across different groups to each play a meaningful role. Deb and I wrote and recorded that in 2021….

Polaroid framed photos of the flags of Canada, Australia and UK

International Survey of Rural Challenges answers

Australia, Canada and UK weigh in with assets and challenges Our Survey of Rural Challenges just wrapped up this week, and I want to share the preliminary results with you. This year, international people made almost 4% of all responses, based on what survey-takers volunteered about their locations. There were 13 from Canada, 4 from…

In a quaint local candy store, an older couple both wearing hats and using canes for mobility are browsing for sweet treats.

Your town is not a fit for everyone, so how do you attract new people?

You’ll never get everyone to like your town. It takes a certain person to appreciate your local quirks and charm. That’s OK because you’re not trying to get everyone on earth to move there, nor to force everyone to stay.  The goal is for people to want to move there or want to stay for the…

An empty lot with pop-up booths and a food truck, with diverse people enjoying the market.

Melody Warnick and SaveYour.Town are Keeping and Attracting Talented People in Rural Places

Melody Warnick’s books have been refreshing reads for me in thinking about how people and place interact to create the culture in rural communities. In This Is Where You Belong, Melody talks openly about her own struggle to feel connected when she moved to a new town. In If You Could Live Anywhere she shares…

A mood board collage of photos of Becky McCray and Deb Brown helping rural communities, with the title 2024 Helping You Along the Way

How SaveYour.Town is helping small towns in 2024

See our mood board, above? It’s all about how SaveYour.Town is helping you along the way in 2024 and beyond. Deb Brown and I picked that phrase, helping you along the way, because we know that you’re full up on work to do. You’re probably involved in multiple organizations in your community. Certainly you are…