Who are we building our rural communities for?

November 12th, 2009 by Mike Knutson

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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