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Does Urban respect Rural (and vice versa)?

February 24th, 2010

With the Olympic Games pitting the United States and Canadian athletes and fans against each other, South Dakota native Tom Brokaw offered a smart commentary on the relationship between our two great countries.   His comments, displayed in the video embedded below, focus on the commonalities that exist between our countries.  The U.S. is lucky to have such good neighbors.

 

 Source location:  “Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans,” J9406051’s Channel on YouTube,

 

Social, Economic, and Political.  Brokaw shows the connections between run deep.  Watching the video, I think most Americans understand that the U.S. and Canada need each other for continued prosperity. 

Sadly, I’m not sure that same level of respect exists between urban and rural Americans.  Being online as much as I am, I see a lot of news reports, blog posts, and comments suggesting Rural America’s only significant value is that it provides cheap food for cities — where the real economic activity gets done.  Perhaps my take on this issue is still jaded by the recent negativity associated the Hazelton, ND story, but I don’t think I’m far off. 

 

So what can be done about this lack of respect?

Respect is a two-way street, and Rural America could show respect by getting over some of the stereotypes we hold about urban culture.  That’s probably a good place to start.

I also wonder if Tom Brokaw could be part of the solution.  After all, he’s a product of rural South Dakota and has a pretty good feel for both rural and urban people.  Perhaps a video production like the U.S.- Canadian piece would help raise awareness of this issue.

But at the end of the day, videos, while helpful, seldom produce transformative, long-term results.

To accomplish lasting change, we may want to consider a model being developed by Minnesota Rural Partners called Rurb.MN.  The project seeks to generate conversation about rural-urban connections with the goal of stimulating economic growth and innovation. 

I encourage you to check out this blog post describing the project in greater detail.  I need to dig into the project in greater detail myself and have fired off an e-mail with a few questions.

I hope the project’s impacts will be substantial and transformative; that’s what is really needed for rural and urban communities.

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10 Reasons “Third Places” matter to Rural Communities

January 26th, 2010

Admittedly, I go a little overboard on emphasizing the importance of “third places” to the future of rural communities, but my gut tells me they play a more vital role in the social and economic wellbeing of our rural communities than most people give them credit for.   

For those who haven’t heard of them before, third places are where people meet and socialize outside of their homes (first places) and their work (second places). Sociologist Ray Oldenburg is credited with drawing attention to third places through his influential book, The Great Good Place.  Back in January 2009, I wrote this post titled “Does your Community need a Coffee Shop and other Third Places?”  It’s still one of our more popular posts here at Reimagine Rural.    

Lacking in any of my previous writing about third places, however, is a comprehensive explanation of how third places impact the economic wellbeing of small, rural communities - or any community for that matter.  For that reason, I’ve produced the following resource guide to illuminate why rural communities must get serious about their efforts to develop strong third places in their communities. 

10 Reasons Third Places Matter to Rural Communities

1. Third places are cool…and rural places could stand a little cool. It’s no secret that young people today crave “cool” environments to live and hang out. What receives less attention, however, is research that suggests Gen Yers often choose where to live before seeking permanent employment; and that “coolness” plays a role in this decision making process. If true, this tells us that for rural communities to attract young people, they need to develop some cool places young people crave. And what better way to do it than by creating a place where young and old can get together. (Another article on the subject can be found here.)

2. Third places introduce new people to the community. I’ve noted in previous posts, how important it is for new residents and visitors to feel welcomed by a community.  Wall Street Journal writer Gwendolyn Bounds offers a personal perspective of how Guinans, an Irish pub, welcomed her into the Garrison, NY community and played a critical role in her choice to move there. As Bounds came to frequent the pub, “regulars” at Guinans taught her (a former NYC resident) a great deal about how to live in a rural community (i.e. use a chain saw, fix the plumbing, and deal with the snow). It’s possible that new residents can become a part of a community without a third place, but third places seem to make the process a lot easier.

3. Third Places improve the quality of life in a community. Quality of life means different things to different people. Some say quality of life requires a community to have a strong “night life.” Other, say it requires safe environments. But as this research suggests, people who live in communities with third places perceive the quality of life in their community as being higher than those who live without them.

4. Third Places are good for tourism. When people go on vacation they are typically looking for a unique experience. More and more, they also want that experience to be authentic. In other words, they want to get a sense of a community’s character, rather than an image developed by a corporate marketing department. If your community has a scenic wonder like the Grand Canyon, or man-made attraction like the Mall of America, you may not need to worry about a third place. But as tourism expert Roger Brooks of Destination Development Inc. notes, third places are a part of each community’s “brand” and can become places where locals and visitors meet each other. If you want further proof on the importance of third places to tourism, just look at what the Irish pub has done for tourism in Ireland.

5. Third places can help improve the business climate in your small town. Increasingly entrepreneurs need to work from anywhere and at anytime. That’s why cell service, broadband internet, and wifi accessibility are vital infrastructure to any rural community. But does your community have a place where entrepreneurs can meet with clients and business partners, take advantage of technology, and remain connected to the office? If not, your community may be frustrating entrepreneurs more than you realize.

6. Third places stimulate creativity. I work from home quite a bit. Sometimes, the solitude becomes deafening, and I need to be around people. I’ve discovered that in addition to combating isolation, third places help stimulate both my productivity and creativity. Surprisingly, I’m not alone. I recently learned that J.K. Rowlings turns to cafés for inspiration while writing her monumental Harry Potter books. Now she’s creative! (And just think what would happen if a third place in your community inspired the next Harry Potter series.)

7. Third Places help people age in place. Back in the 1990s, the Rural Learning Center focused on developing senior housing options (like independent and assisted living) in our community because we learned that helping seniors age in place was important to their quality of life. F. Kaid Benfield recognized that same issue in this blog post where he emphasized that communities who follow smart growth principles should develop third places for seniors that they can walk to. The point here is that seniors need to be active and engaged. That could be accomplished with a senior citizens facility. But a more efficient use of resources would involve developing third places where all generations visit.

8. Third Places can help create jobs.  Cooltown Studios has published numerous blogs posts about third places in urban areas.  I particularly like this post, which highlights how third places help build conversations that lead to entrepreneurial thinking, a requirement for growing our economy.   On one hand, saying that third places lead to job growth is a bit abstract for me, but I do believe it’s a good reminder that entrepreneurs need places to network and build conversations in order to generate new ideas that will hopefully lead to job growth. 

9. Third Places will never be replaced by social networking sites like Facebook. There’s a school of thought suggesting that physical third places are being replaced by virtual ones. In other words, Facebook is the new third place. Now let me be clear: I believe rural communities should consider developing an online social networking strategy as a part of their economic development work. It’s a great way to connect with people both inside and outside your community. But as Mary Newsom writes on Citiwire: online social networks as third places are “mere metaphors for the real thing.”

10. Third Places help build conversation …. and conversation leads to trust. One of the beautiful things about quality third places is that they bring together people of all socio-economic backgrounds. As conversation emerges in a third place, people begin to know, understand, and trust each other. Sociologists call this bridging social capital and have recognized its importance in community and economic development in rural places. (As this paper suggest, bridging social capital is the entry point for strengthening your community socially and economically.) On a basic level, most of us can appreciate that whenever people come together for open conversation, they begin to trust each other. And when people trust each other, it’s a lot easier to get things done in our communities.

I’ve been thinking and writing about the importance of third places in rural communities for a couple years now, and I’ve really noticed the growth of good resources being published online. In addition to sharing some of those resources as links above, I’ve attempted to save my favorites to my Delicious account.  Even though I’ve saved over 60 recourses, I know the list is incomplete. 

That’s why I’d like to ask for your help.  Feel free to check out my list of favorites on Delicious, but just as important, please share your favorites with me.  And don’t think that my “10 Reasons Third Places are important to Rural Communities” list above is complete either.  I plan to revise the list in the near future, and include your thoughts and new discoveries in it.

 

Photo Credits:

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Look out Rural! Gen Y’s on the move

December 9th, 2009

In an article titled “Green Acres is the Place to Be,” Gwendolyn Bounds of the Wall Street Journal hints that we might expect to see a movement of Gen Y to rural places.  Motivated by an uncertain economy, the young people Bounds describes in her article are jettisoning their hectic urban lives by purchasing small tracts of land in Rural America.  They are, in Bounds’ eyes, the young modern-day equivalent of “Mr. Douglas” of TV’s “Green Acres” fame. 

But what’s really their motivation?  Were they burned out by the fast paced Park Avenue life, like Mr. Douglas? Partly.  Several do admit to aspiring to a slower pace of life. 

But more significantly, many of these rural migrants feel burned by the Park Avenue investors who contributed to our country’s recent economy collapse by turning investment banking into something more akin to investment gambling.  If there is any single factor linking all the rural migrants together, it would have to be fear over how quickly they saw investments disappear in the recent economic recession. 

For that reason, many of the young people Bounds describes are purchasing land in rural places instead.  They see it as a more stable investment than either the stock market or the overinflated urban housing market from which they emerged. And if things go really bad, at least they’ll still be able to grow their own food.

It’s tough to tell if the people highlighted in the article suggest a growing movement or a temporary reaction, soon to reverse course.  Personally, I lean toward thinking it has a real opportunity to grow into a movement.  But then, I’ve always been known as guy who believes “the glass is half full.”

 

Photo Credit: Jakesmome - Flickr

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What’s in it for me?

November 13th, 2009

Yesterday, we presented readers with a basic economic question:  Do our rural communities have enough resources to invest in being attractive to both Boomers and Millennials?   I raised it after reading an article from Northern Great Plains, Inc.’s newsletter, which provides great tips for creating communities that are more attractive to young people (who we call Millennials).

Personally, I don’t think we have the luxury of creating communities that are attractive to everyone.  Communities need to figure who is the best target market (boomers or millennials) and develop a plan that creates a product these individuals want.  

That said, I think it’s a mistake to ignore the community’s current residents.  How would you like it if you were a senior living in a rural community that only did things for young people?

Can we have our cake and eat it too? 

Sounds like I want to have it both ways, and in a way I do.  What I’m saying is if your community development strategy is going to focus on attracting new young residents, just don’t forget about the people who are already living there. 

To clarify, I’ve created the following list of ways that I think this can occur.

4 ways to include everyone

1. Develop community events that appeal to people of all ages. For example, if you want to appeal to a younger demographic by hosting a festival, consider how it will be attractive to all generations.

2. Help older generations learn how to use social media tools. Many communities are building marketing strategies around Facebook because the tool has appeal with younger generation. You can help bridge this gap by holding some classes that help people create their own Facebook profiles.

3. Create places where people of all generations can gather for informal conversation. It’s that third place concept that we’ve talked about so much. If you are working to attract young people, you may want to develop a coffee shop; but make sure that it still has appeal to older generations as well.

4. Encourage leadership of all ages. If all ages are represented on the city council, county commission, and the commercial/community club boards, then the decisions made are more likely to benefit all age groups

So keep in mind it’s perfectly acceptable for communities to develop projects and activities that focus on a specific group, like millennials.  But at the end of the day, these projects and activities will be more successful if the existing residents can answer “What’s in it for me?”

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Miller, SD has got Facebook figured out

October 13th, 2009

I’m always on the lookout for rural communities that are using social media to build conversations.  Recently, I found a great example with Miller, SD. 

Joe Fiala and Amy Howard of On Hand Development Corp. launched the Miller, SD Facebook page on Sept. 24, 2009.  Within weeks they built over 500 fans, which is very impressive in a community with a population of approximately 1530 people. 

Amy Howard and Joe Fiala, On Hand Dev. Corp.

What has impressed me more than the number of fans is how people are interacting on the page.  Lots of people start Facebook pages, but not many do a good job of generating conversations with their fan base. 

Joe and Amy do.  They even have people who have moved away from the community saying how much they miss the community.  Impressive.

With that in mind, I contacted Joe to find out what’s the secret sauce in his recipe.  The following interview  with Joe is the result. 

 

Why did you create a Facebook page for the community of Miller?  Does it connect to your organization’s goals? 

We were looking for ways to engage our community utilizing the internet beyond our “regular” website. Facebook is a way to easily interact with people living in Miller, people that used to live in here, and people that had visited our town.

Using Facebook helps us reach our goals as a business development organization because we can showcase our community and lifestyle. It allows us to communicate more effectively with the young adults that will be the next generation of business owners in town.

 

One of the things that impresses me about your page is number of people commenting.  What have you done to try to create “conversations” on your Facebook page?

We have made a conscious effort to create posts that garner comments from the fans. We’ve tried to post items that people will find interesting, but we also ask questions within the post.

Our partnership with our local newspaper, the Miller Press, has been effective too. They have a “Talk on Main Street” question each week in the paper. We asked if we could address that same question on the Facebook page and they agreed.

 

Any future plans for your page? 

As we have events in Miller like the opening weekend of pheasant season, the Christmas on the Prairie celebration, and the 4th of July festivities, we will post pictures of the events.

We will also listen to our fans to see what items they would like us to post.  Our page is set up so that fans can post items and we are hoping that they will take advantage of this and add to our content.

 

We constantly hear how social media tools are sucking up work time and decreasing productivity.  How much time do you spend each week using Facebook? 

Our goal is to post an item on every work day, whether it is an announcement, a picture, or a question. So far, we probably average about 10 minutes per day.

This is not much time and we are reaching an audience of over 500 people that have already shown interest in being involved in our conversation. For a small town, that is an amazing amount of publicity for so little time involved.

 

Why did you choose Facebook as a social networking tool over others tools like blogging, Twitter, MySpace, etc…?

Facebook lends itself very well to holding a community conversation. It allows short posts, pictures, and comments. All of these actions are very easy to do.

However, the deciding factor was that a large majority of young adults and high school students use Facebook.

We are planning to incorporate a blog as part of our website communication tools. This will allow us to post articles that are too long for Facebook to handle efficiently.

 

Note:  Wow!  Working with the local newspaper is a great idea.  And if you go to their page you will see that they do a nice job of asking questions that engage their fans.  (You don’t have to join Facebook to view the Miller, SD Facebook Page.  Check it out by clicking here. )

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A Remarkable Event, for Rural Places Everywhere

August 28th, 2009

The Rural Learning Center is celebrating the beginning of a new phase in their history next week.  On Wednesday, September 2nd the Rural Learning Center will break ground on the Maroney Rural Learning Center.  The center will house renewable energy and rural community training space, a restaurant, kitchen and hotel in a certified LEED Platinum building, all on Howard’s Main Street. 

The Maroney Rural Learning Center is part of the ongoing, strategic work of the Rural Learning Center, which has been working in Howard and surrounding Miner County for the past 15 years on economic development, housing development, and growing capacity of local leaders and organizations.  The expanded facility will allow the Rural Learning Center to host community based groups who come to learn about community development and an innovative renewable energy job training program, specifically.  Additional uses for the facility include space for local gatherings and rural conferences/ trainings.

The groundbreaking program will feature partners of the Rural Learning Center, including Pam Flaherty, President and CEO of Citi Foundation, Ken Stork, President and CEO of Citibank South Dakota, Kevin Walker, President and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation, and Bob Sutton, President of the South Dakota Community Foundation.  Pam Flaherty (Citi Foundation) will present a $250,000 grant to the Rural Learning Center specifically in support of their efforts to building the Maroney Rural Learning Center and the renewable energy job training program. 

Event details follow.  We hope to see you on Wednesday!

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Social Capital through the Front Porch

July 30th, 2009

Like I mentioned in my last post, many people see development possibilities as a good way to invest in, and grow, their towns.  So, what makes a new urbanism neighborhood so much better than your standard subdivision?  (Find out what Hercules, CA has to say here, and what Stapleton residents think here)

The American front porch was a great tool for encouraging socialization.  Families would spend nice evenings on the porch, waving to passing neighbors or offering them a glass of iced tea or lemonade and a chair to sit down in.  Before lives were more hectic and evenings were spent at karate practice, people enjoyed a quiet evening together with friends and family.  The neighborhood kids would play together on a whim, and not a scheduled play-date.

Many new home buyers remember this care-free aspect of their childhood, and want to give their children the same opportunity.  From what I have seen, many members of Gen Y see subdivisions and cul-de-sacs as idealistic and sterile places with no real character.  These subdivisions are based on the car with large garages dominating the streetscape, wide roads to accommodate those cars, and are located far from work and shopping, making the car a necessity in all daily tasks.

New urbanism neighborhoods are no longer based on the car in the garage, and instead are focused on the people in the homes.  Lots are set up “long and skinny,” encouraging homeowners to locate the garage at the back of their property, with access from the shared alley.  Roads are narrower to encourage slower traffic, which in turn encourages people to start utilizing the front yard as a safe place to play and the neighborhood a safe place to walk.  In these neighborhoods the front porch is making a comeback.

One of the great things about rural communities is that people tend to know and care about their neighbors.  When neighborhoods are built in a way that encourages connectivity, neighbors and communities start to reap the benefits.  Communities start to build social capital by connecting neighbors to one another.  And, as I have discussed before, connecting new people to others in your community is essential in keeping those newcomers in your neighborhoods and happy. 

 

Photo courtesy of Seabrook, WA, another very neat town that was created using New Urbanist principles.

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New Wine in Old Vessels?

July 23rd, 2009

During a conversation with Terry O’Keefe, founder of Web EG, he commented on how he perceived that large organizations (i.e. banks, auto manufacturers, etc.) are “coming apart at the seams” and we are struggling to “put them back together.”  It started me thinking about many of our long standing organizations in small rural towns.

Metaphorically speaking, many of our clubs and organizations have “come apart at the seams.”  We are struggling to recapture or restore their former vitality.

Are we attempting to revitalize and restore old structures/organizations that no longer work?  Can we or should we be attempting to “put them back together?”

My thoughts are it’s really not about organizations and structures.  It is about relationships and community connectedness. If we refocus our thinking and actions, perhaps our rural communities can become a model to move this great country of ours forward.

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Growing Economic Gardening in South Dakota

June 18th, 2009

What would it take to create an Economic Gardening movement in South Dakota? 

That’s the question we posed at the end of our presentation at the 7th Annual Economic Gardening Conference in Fort Sisseton. 

It seemed to be a fitting conclusion to our presentation because the most social networking is best when it’s focuses on people come together to create a movement. 

 

Eg Final Presentation Social Media Section

View more OpenOffice presentations from rurallearning.

 

If you have any thoughts about economic gardening and how to make it a movement in SD, I hope you will let us know.

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Welcome Morgan Andenas

June 15th, 2009

Last week we introduced you to Nicole Lauck who will be writing posts for us this summer.  Today, we’re sharing an interview with Howard native, Morgan Andenas.

Where did you grow up, where are you going to school now, and what are you studying?

I grew up in Howard, SD on my parent’s farm 7 miles north of town.  I went to Howard High and graduated with a class of 38.  I am now going to college at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT.  In the fall I will be a junior continuing in the Architecture department.

What do you hope to write about this summer?

I hope to write about what I see when I come home from school.  Every time I come home (for Christmas, Spring Break and summer) I see what used to be my day-to-day surroundings differently.  I hope to write about what differences I see, and also how my education affects the way I see the world.  Instead of taking my surroundings at a glorified face-value, I’m beginning to look deeper, both in terms of design and of reality, no matter how harsh it can be.  I believe we cannot just say, “That’s the way it has always been,” and that’s the end of it.  Communities can work towards something better, and I think design can play a large role in that.

What’s one of your most favorite memories about growing up in a rural community?

That would have to be the neighbors.  My closest neighbors are a full mile down the gravel road, and our other neighbors are up to 8 miles away.  But, no matter the distance, everyone helps everyone and it’s such an amazing community to grow up in; I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s one of your least favorite memories about growing up in a rural community?

The distance between everything was one of the most inconvenient things.  To get to any reasonable shopping (above the groceries, gifts and florist shop in town) you have to go at least 30 minutes in any direction.  Going to the movies takes 30 minutes, and the closest mall is an hour.  Even my friends were at least ten minute drive away.  It definitely makes spur-of-the-moment plans much more difficult.

What’s the “coolest” small town or place in a small town that you have been to?

I think any small town that tries to keep its young people around and trying new ways to keep the community alive is pretty cool.  We now have a really neat coffee shop in Howard and I love it!  After getting hooked on my occasional mocha at school (especially after a long night working on a project), I really appreciate being able to get really good coffee and food right on my hometown Main Street! (I highly recommend the Oriental Orange Salad.)

 

As readers know, the Rural Learning Center believes community design is an important element to the success of rural communities.  And research seems to suggest that community design (including architectural elements) are very important to Millennials.  It will be cool to hear how Morgan reacts to some of that research.  Hopefully, community leaders (myself included) will “listen” to both Morgan and Nicole.  After all, if we want our communities to be places where young people want to live, we’d better listen.   

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