Posts Tagged ‘tourism’

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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Posted in Community Development, Community Engagement, Economic Development, Quality of Life, Rural, Uncategorized | Comments (6)

Top 10 “coolest” small towns

May 29th, 2009

How cool would it be for your town to be named one of the “top 10 coolest” small towns in America? That’s exactly what 10 lucky communities experienced when voters selected them for the honor at BudgetTravel.com’s online contest. 

It was even “cool” enough news for The Early Show at CBS News to pick up the story: 

 

It’s disappointing (but not unexpected) to see only one community (Grinnell, IA) in our region on the list. Of course, what’s “cool” and what’s “small” both have debatable definitions.  Budget Travel used a definition of “small” as under 10,000.  Wouldn’t it would be fun to see a contest for communities under 3,000? 

Note: Just as interesting to me is how information like this travels.  I first read about it in the Daily Yonder blog, clicked on a link taking me to a story at the Chicago Sun-Times, which in turn took me to the BudgetTravel.com site.  Three sites before I got to the original, but each story was worth the read.  There’s something good to be said about how information is shared in the social media world. 

 

Related Links

“Americas Coolest Small Towns, Circa 2009″ @ CBS News

 “Grinnell third in website poll of “coolest small towns” @ Radio Iowa

 “Americas Coolest Towns:  Budget Travel Magazine (Video) @ The Huffington Post

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Helping tourists develop a sense of place

January 26th, 2009

Karen Wylie over at Backroads Business picked up on our story about coffee shops and “third places.” She described how a local coffee shop (DT’s Blue Ridge Java) enticed her to join a bridge class at their establishment.

Although intended to bring in customers during a slow time of year, it also contributes to the coffee shop’s “third place” status by encouraging locals to interact with each other.

From what Karen writes, DT Blue Ridge Coffee does a nice job of building community in the town of Spruce Pine, NC where it’s located.  But I wonder if it goes a step further:  does it also serve as a place that helps introduce tourists into the community?

Ireland has become a tourist destination in part because their pubs and other establishments successfully help tourists connect with locals.  In the process, the visitors develop a better sense of place.   They get a chance to feel the uniqueness of each community.

That process is vital to any rural community implementing a tourism strategy.  After all, it’s unlikely that small towns will develop big museums or event centers that larger communities use to attract visitors.  But a lot of people just want to experience a unique place where they can meet special people.   Small towns can fulfill that wish by developing good third places.

Later this morning, I’m going to join a webcast with John Delcante from Smallwander.com.  The subject will be “Third Places”, and I’m sure tourism will be a part of that conversation.

It’s sort of a last minute thing, but we’ll be live at 9:00 am Central.  Feel free to call in or listen live via the link below.

EVENT:  Third Places
DATE & TIME: Monday, January 26th at 10:00am Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast - it’s your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5847438

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Posted in Economic Development, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (5)

Bernie on the Blind School

November 26th, 2008

Bernie Hunhoff, editor of South Dakota Magazine, captures the essence of Joe Kolbach’s bold vision for turning the former South Dakota School for the Blind campus in Gary, SD into a community revitalization project. 

The Gary community has been saddle for years with this incredible asset that has deteriorated to the point of being a community detriment.  Way too often, some of the best physical assets in our small towns (i.e. - old school and bank buildings) have been purchased by individuals - often with good intentions — who end up neglecting the property.  Un-mowed lawns lead to broken windows, lead to graffiti…, you get the picture.  (And if you don’t, take a closer look at the picture to the left.)

But is the preservation of historic buildings really a path to community prosperity? I emphatically say “yes” as I’ve experienced it first-hand.  Back in the mid-1990’s, I helped a start-up tourism venture in Beaufort, South Carolina, a once sleepy, depressed community located half-way between Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. 

There the focal point was antebellum, plantation-style homes that were being restored to their original splendor.  Visitors flocked to see the see the magnificence of the restored mansions and hear the history of an era gone by.  Along the way, they left their dollars at main street businesses.

Equally important is the role the restored mansions played in changing the community’s brand.  In marketing terms, a community’s brand is what others say and think about you.  Ask anyone about Beaufort’s image during the 1960s and 1970s, and they’d tell you it was a community without a future.  The restored homes helped change that image.

It’s too early to say what impact the former School for the Blind will have on Gary and surrounding Deuel County.   But what’s important is that communities attempt to regain control over these assets and incorporate them into the community’s vision for the future.   

Update:  The transformation of the former blind school into the Buffalo Ridge Resort and Business Center is not complete.  Check this post for further info and pictures.

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

Off the beaten path

November 6th, 2008

If you’ve ever gotten “off the beaten path” while traveling, you’ve probably discovered a neat place that astounds you.   You know what I mean.  It’s the place that makes you say, “Wow.  How did this get here?” 

Last week, some friends told me about one of these places.  While traveling Iowa’s backroads, they stumbled on the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, IA.  

Although I’ve never been there myself, I remembered a presentation about it at rural community development conference a few years back.  The community (pop. 800) had recently dedicated itself to developing innovative ways of promoting the Grotto, and the speaker was encouraging other rural communities to follow their lead. 

I remembered the Grotto today when I read a post on a blog that I’ve followed for the last six months or so.  Called the Smallwanderer, it’s dedicated to identifying unique cultural events and places for travelers in the Southeastern corner of the United States. 

I enjoy Smallwanderer because I get a chance to see the innovative tourism activities and promotions that rural communities have developed.  

If you’d like to kick-start tourism as a part of your community’s economic development strategy, I’d recommend you to put Smallwanderer in your blog reader.  

And if you have a worthy story about what your community is already doing, I’d encourage you to contact the Smallwanderer’s staff.  As a post from a couple days ago announces, they are seeking towns and travelers to submit stories about unique places and events.  What a cool idea! 

We intend to talk more about tourism as an economic development strategy as well, but you’ll benefit from reading what’s going on down south as well.

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