Posts Tagged ‘millennials’

Are you toiling in the urban mailroom?

December 22nd, 2009

As I mentioned in my previous post, there is a lot of insightful information in this Minnesota Public Radio virtual forum.  I shared some of the best themes and comments in that post, but I wanted to pull out one comment for publication by itself.

Late in the conversation, Jennifer Gumbel (10:52) provided the following insightful comment:

I feel I live in an area that is brain-gaining… SE MN. I’m originally from Sioux Falls and have lived in the Cities and in Des Moines. I now live in Le Roy, MN and work in Preston as an attorney. My professional and personal life is more fulfilling in many ways than my big city classmates. I have more responsibility on more interesting cases. I’m a homeowner and live next to a State Park. I have the opportunity to play part time in a symphony. I see many of my colleagues or friends who are originally from this area returning. I couldn’t be happier to be in a small town.”

Wow!  What an endorsement for rural Minnesota.

What Jennifer suggests is an often overlooked attractor to rural places:  Many talented young people who migrate to the city often end up toiling in the mailroom, while their rural counterparts are taking on real responsibilities right away.

Obviously, that’s not universal for every person and job, but it’s important to note because we know Gen Y is very interested in being given responsibility.  If I were recruiting a young person to work in a rural community, I would definitely emphasize this point.

And congratulations to Le Roy and Preston, MN.  Sioux Falls’ loss is rural Minnesota’s gain.

 

Photo Credit — libraryimages - Flickr (Preston, MN 1874 — click to enlarge)

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Gen Y and Rural Living: A natural fit.

December 10th, 2009

Gwendolyn Bounds’ article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Green Acres Is the Place to Be” highlighted a small but hopefully growing trend of young people who are moving to rural places.  I spotlighted Bound’s article here, and I’ve been wondering ever since, “What is really going on here?  What is it that is attracting Gen Y to rural places?  (Note: Bounds’ article focuses on urban residents called “ruralpolitans” who move to rural places, but young people appear to be a major focus of those currently moving. )

First and foremost, we need to recognize that the ruralpolitans Bounds describes are moving to rural places because they sense an opportunity for them. Brandon Peaks speaks directly to this issue in the last paragraph of the WSJ article:

“I can’t tell you how many people at work say, ‘Man, I’d like to do that,’ “Mr. Peak says.  “Everybody is looking for the next opportunity for hope.”

Peaks, an Intel Corp technician in Phoenix, sees opportunity in working with his parents on a dairy operation they recently purchased in Missouri.  It means he will escape the uncertainty of the job market in his industry, and will enable him to move from a city that has seen a major housing market collapse. (Admittedly, most of us Midwesterners probably see dairy farming a risky venture with milk prices as low as they are, but at least Peaks will be able to see his wife and children on a regular basis, something that doesn’t currently happen.)

Other rural transplants see different types of opportunities:

It is easy for urban dwellers to see these opportunities when the urban economy has tanked. Losing one’s life savings and seeing the housing market crash have a funny way of doing that. But I think it goes deeper.  Why is it specifically that Gen Y is recognizing opportunities in rural places?  To answer that I think we have to look at what experts have to say about Gen Y. 

Characteristics of Gen Y

There’s no shortage of social commentators who have created their own lists of Gen Y characteristics.  I’ve written about them myself on several occasions.  (See here and here as examples.)    What I’ve attempted below is to connect these characteristics to why people of this generation might be moving to rural places. 

Looking at the trend in this way suggests to me that the movement is about more than just a reaction to the economy.  The economy may have encouraged young people to rethink their future, but the opportunities in rural places that are attractive to Gen Y have always been there.  Perhaps they just weren’t looking. 

 

Other Resources about Gen Y

Photo Credit:  newagecrap - Flickr

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Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Housing, In the News, Rural | Comments (3)

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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Who are we building our rural communities for?

November 12th, 2009

We talk a lot on ReImagine Rural about creating rural communities that are attractive for young people.  We do so because most rural communities in the Midwest are getting older and older each year.  If we want our rural communities to have a bright future, we obviously need more young people to call our rural places home.

But a recent newsletter from Northern Great Plains, Inc., reminded me that we can’t forget about the people who already live in our rural communities.  It’s a bit long, but the following quote captures this idea:

Any rural development strategy must recognize the importance of defining what kind of region young people today will want to live in the future and work towards it. However, these same efforts must maintain a balance between the interests and needs of young families and workers and the desire of the region’s older population to remain in the region and live in a safe and comfortable environment. The challenge economic developers and city planners face is one of creating rural places that will be welcoming for young people and also making it the passion of older people to create a region for both young and old to live in.”

 This is good advice, especially when one considers this USDA Study suggesting Baby Boomers are looking to move to rural communities. 

But at the same time, it raises the question: Do our rural communities have enough resources to invest in being attractive to both Boomers and Millennials?

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Posted in Community Development, In the News, Rural | Comments (0)

If you’ve been in one rural community…

October 23rd, 2009

Distinguished sociologist Daryl Hobbs frequently told me and fellow Miner County (SD) residents, “If you’ve been in one rural community, you’ve only been in one rural community.”  Hobbs issued that warning to remind us that each small town held its own distinguishing features.  Just because we heard of one community’s problems on the TV news, didn’t mean we should assume those same problems existed in our community.  For that reason, he challenged us (and other rural community leaders) to dig in and understand the nuances of what made our community unique. 

I was reminded of Hobb’s exhortation today while reading a book review of Hollowing out the Middle, a book I highly recommend.  Published in the Wall Street Journal, the reviewer offered a lukewarm assessment of the book’s value to rural leaders.

In the review, he also leveled one scathing criticism over the authors’ claims that small town schools in the Heartland are divided along socio-economic lines.  The reviewer writes: 

The authors are on shakier ground discussing Ellis itself. You cannot drop into a town for a year and come away with deep understandings. Their claim that “there is probably no other place in American society where the rules of class and status play out with a more brutal efficiency than in the world of a country high school” is so howlingly inaccurate that only displaced urban academics could believe it.

 The reviewer’s statement drew my attention because I too struggled with veracity of the author’s claims on this subject.  As a former teacher, I feel comfortable saying the divide was not as severe (as the authors maintain) in the two rural South Dakota schools where I taught.  I can site numerous examples of quite the opposite, where students rise above the challenges presented by the status of their birth. 

So how can the authors, claim be so far off from my personal experiences?  Perhaps it’s because they base their analysis of the rural Heartland largely from interviews in one rural community. And if you’ve been to one rural community, you’ve only been to one rural community. 

But divisions along socio-economic lines did, and I suspect still do, exist in the schools and communities where I taught.  And Hollowing out the Middle helped me see those relationships in a new light.  For instance, I know that one of the greatest advantages that rural education offers over an urban one is that teachers are able to get to know the parents of their students on a much deeper level.  After reading the book, however, I can’t help but wonder how I and other fellow teachers might have imposed conditions of the parents onto their children. 

Some readers will undoubtedly be offended by the author’s claims.  But I don’t think they intend the claim as a condemnation.  Rather, they intended it as a tool for helping us examine what lies beneath the surface of our behaviors. 

Therein lays the value offered by the book.  While I can’t agree that “the rules of class and status play out with a more brutal efficiency” in the rural towns and schools that I’ve experienced, I know that elements of it exist in all of our rural schools in the Heartland. And I think that every community could develop a richer understanding of itself by holding a conversation on the subject. 

So let me conclude by asking, “Do you think socio-economic divisions are as pervasive in your rural school as the authors suggest?”  Is that a conversation you are willing to have? 

 

Photo Credit: Alexandraless - Flickr    (Let’s hope young people don’t jump for joy at the prospect of leaving rural communities after graduation.)

 

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Are polar bears more important than rural communities?

September 18th, 2009

Let me begin by saying that I love polar bears and believe Americans need to alter their daily lives to help combat the global warming that is destroying the polar bear’s environment.

But it also seems to me that most Americans care little about the future of rural communities.  And apparently, I’m not alone. 

 

Hollowing out the Middle agrees

I’m still working my way through the recently released Hollowing out the Middle:  The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America, but I’m far enough along to offer a few thoughts.  (I also wrote about it back in April, before it was released.)

The authors open by asking the question that often troubles me:  “Why should we care about the future of small towns in the Heartland?”(p. ix)  They then offer a statement that inspired the above headline:

Though the small town claims an iconic place in the American psyche, we are considerably less alarmed by the emptying out of the prairie and plains towns than by the endangered status of the polar bear, an altogether more universally vulnerable symbol and one that our kids can easily comprehend and mourn the loss of.  (p. ix)

Unlike most books that begin with “whoa onto us” statements like the above, the authors quickly redirect the direct the energy of the book from blaming others to that of self-reflection. 

They close their preface by stating, “It is people’s actions that ultimately determine whether a place hollows out.” (p. xiv)

Yes! I agree.

 

We are responsible

Rural residents have as much responsibility for the future of their communities as free market economics or government policies.  We choose where we buy our groceries.  We choose how trashy or vibrant our communities look.  And we choose how our young people feel about their communities by what we tell them and how we invest in them. 

Unfortunately, little attention is ever directed at this last statement.  And that’s why this book is so important.

 

Just Do it!

So why do Americans today care so much for the polar bear and so little about rural communities?  I suspect it’s because some passionate individuals took notice of the polar bear’s plight and have attempted to do something about it.

I know that’s an oversimplification, but I’m confident our actions will speak loader than our words alone. 

Where should you begin?  I’d recommend purchasing Hollowing out the Middle and learning more about why young people are leaving the American Heartland.  And then, if you think it’s worthy, recommend it to a friend, and spark a conversation on the subject. (I’ve already purchased a copy for a friend at the Souuth Dakota Department of Education.)

It seems to me that as we take action (like Iroquois, SD is doing) and build a conversation, we will be successful at raising the awareness of the importance of Rural America.  Not only will our communities be stronger, but others will finally “get it” and understand our passion for rural. 

And who knows, maybe someday we’ll be as important as the polar bear.

 

Photo credit (top):  Oxfam International - Flickr.  (Let me be clear that I am in no way attempting to belittle those who seek to save the polar bear.  On the contrary, we can learn much from their passion.)

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Posted in Community Development, Gen Y, In the News, Rural, Youth | Comments (2)

Gen Y Entrepreneurship in rural communities

August 25th, 2009

The economy is down.  There’s little debate that it has affected both rural and urban communities.  But a recent story in the Sioux Falls Argus leader made me wonder if many rural communities are missing an opportunity to stimulate their local economies by engaging Gen Y entrepreneurs. 

Titled “Daring spirit in dire economy,” the article tells of several Gen Y entrepreneurs who started businesses in Sioux Falls - despite the down economy. 

Several of the individuals started their businesses out of necessity - they lost their jobs.  Several located their businesses in their homes.  Most displayed the confidence and “go-get ‘em” attitude typical of millennials.   And all hope to take advantage of lower start-up costs.

The article also tells us that the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce intends to help these aspiring entrepreneurs by holding a series of round table discussions on financial and legal questions.  What a great idea!

But what are rural communities doing to help young people? 

I’m sure most of us in Rural America can identify one or two millennials who are living in the big city, even though they are either unemployed or underemployed.  And I bet many of us know young people who have experience in businesses that could benefit from the lower start-up costs and living expenses rural communities offer. 

So, what’s stopping us from giving them a call, and letting them know that we both we want them in our communities and that we are willing to offer some assistance to get their venture off the ground? 

If your community is already doing something to reach out to young entrepreneurs, I hope you will share your story.  We can all benefit from a little inspiration.

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Posted in Economic Development, Gen Y, In the News, Rural | Comments (0)

Where am I supposed to live?

June 30th, 2009

I don’t want to buy a house, since I don’t know what I’ll be doing a year or two from now.  An apartment, a condo or maybe a town home with charm is what I’m looking for.  I don’t want anything that looks like my grandma just moved out, but something nice.  I don’t want to take care of a big yard either - I have too much other stuff going on.  Do you have anything like that?

Is your community appealing to young professionals who are coming to you sans children?  Are you thinking about the needs of those who are fresh out of high school or college?

According to the Urban Land Institute, Millennials are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers at 75 million strong.  They also say my generation is, “making a mark that is as different as it is powerful.”  So, what does that mean?  Industry experts suggest that Millennials will want housing that reflects themselves: unique, diverse (about 39% of this generation is non-white), social, and green. 

What do Millennials want?

Millennials want something that they can handle.  Most do not have the money to fix up an older house.  Instead, they want something they can move right into, where the only improvement is a new coat of paint.  Also, these potential buyers or renters are usually in entry-level positions without a large amount of job security.  They might feel buying a house does not make financial sense if there is a possibility of moving on in a few years.

So, what can you do to attract young buyers or renters to what you already have? 

What can a developer do to invest?

Most people know that Millennials are socially different from other generations, but do communities understand that they also looking for different housing?  I believe that creating certain types of housing in smaller communities will help lead my generation back.  As Kevin Costner says, “If you build it, they will come.”

 

Photo credit:  Anthony Easton:Flickr

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Posted in Community Development, Gen Y, Housing, Rural | Comments (2)

The New Five-Year Plan

June 15th, 2009

Not many people my age believe in the five year plan of our parents and older generations.  No longer does the thought of getting a Mrs. Major or a Come Back Home Right Away Minor dominate the career path.  But, what makes these other places - these big, unknown cities - so attractive to Gen Y?

Growing up in small town South Dakota was not always easy.  Going to the movies took you 45 minutes west, going to the mall took you an hour south and the closest Chinese restaurant was 30 minutes east.  Even getting to school took me an hour on the bus. 

Growing up among the cornfields and cattle, I learned that if you work hard and set your mind to something you could achieve it - or at least until that massive thunderstorm rolled in and the ensuing hail knocked down half of your crops, and therefore, half your livelihood.  It was a place to dream, but also a place of harsh realities.

Now, I’m going to school for Architecture in a “big city.”  Bozeman, Montana, home of Montana State (Go Cats!), has a city population around 35,000.  It seems pretty idealistic, where no hail or drought can ruin my day.  But if something does, I just walk downtown to meet my friends at one of the many coffee shops.  There we can listen to the continuous live music and let the warm mocha soothe our troubles.

Why go bigger?
So, why are these idealistic places so alluring to my generation?  Is it the “small town feel” without the small town limits?  Is it the fact that Target, Wal-Mart and Costco are all within a 10 minute drive?  Or is it something less tangible?

The Bean is a popular site in Chicago, IL

The Bean is a popular site in Chicago, IL

 

According to a study by CEOs for Cities, 64% of college grads aged 25-34 would rather pick a city to live in first and then try and find a job.  They also are most likely to choose that city based on what they have heard from other people and what they have seen on the web or TV.  This finding is consistent from what I have experienced. 

Professors in the School of Architecture have studied and lived all over the country, and they pass their stories onto us:  “I lived in Seattle for 6 months and I had to get out: It never stopped raining!”  “I worked at Columbia.  It was a great time, and I loved the city.”  “Denver in the 80s was hard.  The recession left the city jobless, including me.”

One of my med-school friends is going to Seattle after graduation, saying she has always wanted to live there.  I have nursing friend  who is going down to Kansas City to intern after her four years in South Dakota.  Another friend says he will go anywhere they are willing to hire him in any job that even remotely relates to his Engineering degree.  My teaching friends say they will go where ever they can get hired for the most money, but would like to stay in South Dakota. 

Personally, I’ll go wherever I can get hired, live comfortably, and be happy.  I do have a favorite city picked out though, and it happened to land the #7 spot on the CEOs for Cities list: Chicago, IL.

Photo Credit: Mike Boehmer - Flikr

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Posted in Gen Y, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (4)

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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