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What’s behind your community’s historic population shift? Census map links

By Paula Jensen

Paula Jensen

By Paula Jenson I spent some valuable time last month doing a bit of data discovery about rural communities. In my search I explored an interactive map* showing the percent change in total population from the 2010 to the 2020 Census at both the state and county levels. I first zoomed in to view the […]

August 21, 2023 Filed Under: community, economic development, rural

Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and Volunteers

By Deb Brown

A group of smiling people around a dinner table

Guest post by Deb Brown Change can be activated in a society by way of story.” from the book Spirit Run I just returned from Jackson County, Kentucky and the small town of Grayson, Kentucky. There’s a natural beauty in those mountains and winding roads. The people were kind, helpful and want to see their […]

August 8, 2023 Filed Under: community, rural, survivors Tagged With: event reports, Kentucky, rural, stories

Empty Building idea: Make a Zen-like space for your people

By Becky McCray

Steal this healing and calming idea for your downtown! At the Main Street Now Conference in Boston, I joined a trolley tour of the six Dorchester Main Streets. We got a chance to walk through The Guild‘s expansive building. While this space is only one of many projects of The Guild, it was the one that […]

August 2, 2023 Filed Under: community, rural, survivors, trends Tagged With: community building, healing, wellness

How to fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, Iowa

By Deb Brown

I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie […]

July 25, 2023 Filed Under: community, economic development, rural Tagged With: beautification, Deb Brown, empty buildings, placemaking, small towns

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