Becky’s email newsletter

Last week when we talked about Richard Florida and every town needing to have a narrow niche, my friend Rob Hatch said, “all of the information is amazing, but what do I do with it?”  Rob doesn’t work in economic development or tourism or the chamber of commerce. He is “just a business person” in…

Richard Florida is one of the most widely-read urban theorists, author of several books related to the Creative Class. He’s long been an advocate for urban areas, urbanization, and urban life. His writings have popularized a move towards focusing on the amenities needed to attract the Creative Class and thereby assure the future of your…

I got another “Can small towns be saved? Should we save them?” message this week. This time, it was from a high school classmate of mine. I gave him the same reasons I’m giving you. Time for the third installment of this series.   Reason we need small towns #3: Conservation and recreation.  The natural environment…

Small towns have a future, even if it’s for a controversial reason. Reason we need small towns #2: Natural Resources. Think about all the different natural resources we depend on: Water  Oil and gas  Timber Mining and minerals Wind power Solar power (There are too many more to list.) Where do these resources come from?…

Small towns have a future. Even with all the push toward urbanization, small towns will still be needed for several key reasons. Over the next few emails, let’s talk about some of the most important reasons that small towns are necessary. Reason we need small towns #1: Food. I love to eat; you do, too….