Dear Friends, I am moving upstream, as the new Planning Manager leading the Archuleta County Development Services—Planning Department in beautiful Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Archuleta County, population 12,244, is located at 7,000′ elevation in the Rocky Mountains of Southwestern Colorado, west of the Continental Divide on the New Mexico line. The trout waters of the the San […]
Coworking in Southwest Colorado
There’s an awkward time in the life of a startup, when the idea outgrows the garage but maybe isn’t quite ready to commit to anything long-term. It may be time to graduate, but not yet time to settle down—as an entrepreneur, you want to focus on the project, not real estate. Enter “Coworking”. Coworking is a […]
The LivIndex at Work in Three Rural Communities
Last week, the AARP introduced a new data tool, the Livability Index, which provides a snapshot of community indicators, and allows us to compare communities. Let’s drill down a bit with a comparison on three Rocky Mountain cities of similar, but different, setting. Aztec, New Mexico, is a city of 6,578 population, and is the county seat […]
Livability Index: AARP Contributes a Tool Box of Community Indicators
If you create a city that’s good for an 8 year old and good for an 80 year old, you will create a successful city for everyone. — 8-80 Cities A well-designed place works for all of its residents, from the youngest family to the eldest veteran. We seem to have forgotten that in our […]
Development Professional Available
Friends, I am currently seeking a new opportunity in community and economic development, policy analysis or public administration, particularly in the Rocky Mountain or Great Plains states. I do my best work with a small team of professionals dedicated to excellence in public service. I am also considering opportunities where I could apply my skills in […]
Fewer Births, More Deaths, Changing Migration Patterns
Where I tried to strike an upbeat note last week in finding some population growth in rural America, the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) lays out the grim statistics for nonmetropolitan areas in black and blue. From their website this week: The number of people living in rural (nonmetropolitan) counties declined for the fourth year in […]
Diary of Orrin Brown—April 7, 1865
Diary of Orrin Brown, Goldsboro, North Carolina Friday–Apr. 7th The day has been cloudy with a few light sprinkles of rain. I received a letter from home today and answered it. There was a funeral procesion of some officer passed our camp just after noon. I am no better than I was yesterday. I read […]
Aztec Business Hub Makes the Paper (no fooling!)
The Farmington, New Mexico, Daily Times featured one of my work projects on the front page today. The City of Aztec and the San Juan College Enterprise Center have been exploring the feasibility of a small business incubator, similar to the service currently offered at the college in Farmington. The project has evolved in response […]
Rural America is Growing—Except Where It Isn’t
The Bakken is booming. New US Census Bureau population estimates indicate that 7 out of the dozen fastest growing counties in the United States over the last four years are in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana. Yes, large metro counties (Harris County, Texas; Los Angeles County, California; Maricopa County, Arizona) gained the greatest […]
Meet Some New Friends Doing Interesting Things In Community Development
Spring is in the air. Local citizens are coming out of their winter’s cocoons and are eager to do something. You’re right on top of that, coaxing your friends and neighbors to stop pushing buttons (between planning and doing) and starting to move their Flywheel of incremental, constant improvement. You’ve spent your winter getting to Know […]