The Problem
Small and medium-sized communities are facing serious growth, identity, and operational challenges in today’s world.
Growth: Small towns are losing ground to urbanization, automation, and globalization: losing top talent (brain drain), losing the next generation of residents (hollowing out of rural America), losing anchor companies, losing community richness. Small and medium-sized cities receive a disproportionately small fraction of all the attention or resources devoted to improving cities in the U.S.
Identity: When faced with decisions to grow, communities struggle to find the balance between their small-town roots/original community, the opportunity of expanding their community, and welcoming others in
Operational: City-specific challenges, from homelessness to aging infrastructure
Our Solution
Cities, towns, and communities of all sizes recognize the need for two things: (1) the ability to sustain a high quality of life for their citizens, and (2) the means to advance, grow, learn new things, and thrive in an ever-changing economy. Some communities have figured it out—but many other small and medium-sized communities have persistent problems and challenges. City and town leadership are often isolated with limited access to the resources, solutions, and knowledge they need to solve their most pressing challenges. Based on a foundation of best practices drawn from lessons learned in leading communities across the U.S., we can help the motivated leaders diagnose their challenges and lay the foundation of future growth and stronger community. Through a combination of data, case studies, and collaboration across a network of community leaders, we can enable growth-focused leaders to benchmark the current state of their cities, and develop a community-specific plan for targeted improvement.
Next Steps...
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