Why do small towns struggle to get things done? Why is that water line still not fixed? What’s holding up the downtown streetscape project? Why didn’t that planned thing ever happen? Questions like these often get lumped under the label of “rural capacity” or lack of capacity. Plenty of outside organizations have been talking a…
My co-founder Deb Brown and I are streamlining our work this year, so this feels like a good time to share how you can work with us at SaveYour.Town. Start by exploring what’s possible in your community. Deb and I have been doing this work together for 10 years now. We’ve learned what works and…
At the International Association of Fairs and Expositions Convention, we were talking about finding more volunteers and taking care of the ones you already have. I said: “I don’t follow up on stuff that doesn’t need to be followed up on.” If someone volunteered to fix up the garden boxes and they didn’t do it?…
What if funders and all of us really stopped waiting for perfect information and started acting now? In the past few weeks, I’ve seen the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma take immediate action twice and change what people thought was possible. Go ahead with your study, but act now First, at the Oklahoma State University…
I’m excited to share that The Idea Friendly Guide ebook is now available! From 10 years of Deb and I working with communities across North America, I’ve put the Idea Friendly process into this practical, encouraging guide. If you’ve ever been told you need to slow down, form another committee, or wait for permission to…
Too often, placemaking sounds expensive. That’s just because people talk about expensive consultants, fancy masterplans and big projects like they do in big cities. In tiny towns, placemaking doesn’t have to cost much at all. My local economic developer Jeremy Zeller says placemaking simply means making the kind of place you want to live. And…
Remember when I asked for beta readers for my Idea Friendly Guide? Y’all overwhelmed me! I ended up with double my goal for beta readers. Most were people working directly in small communities. Others were from regional organizations, nonprofits, businesses and academics who work across larger areas or everywhere. All these folks are experts at…
At a recent conference, a community leader approached me with a familiar frustration. His town has four downtown buildings with active businesses. “Only four,” he said with disappointment. “At least you have four,” I said. That’s actually something to build on. He went on, “We have four other buildings downtown sitting empty. The owners won’t…
Meet them where they are At the workshop after my recent keynote at the Arkansas Municipal League, a guy shared his frustration. He wanted to get people from his town of about 400 people together to hear their ideas. What would they like to see the city become? What kind of improvements could they work…
Networks grow at the speed of trust. Josiah Hannah from Coalfield Development shared a good idea from their monthly staff meetings. They included meals, which made the whole thing more personal and relaxed. But then they realized they could expand this approach. They started inviting community partners to join some of their gatherings. The shared…
Building stronger community ties starts with showing up where people already gather to create meaningful connections and foster community.
Store owners in downtown Russellville, Arkansas, opened up on Friday to find their intersection had been painted with retro flowers and “I heart Russellville.” “Who painted that intersection overnight??!” It was the Sketchy Ninjas. OK, that may not even be their name, because they’re still deciding what to call themselves. It’s just a few folks…
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