Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
You’ve seen the headlines—in print or online—heralding the impending doom of Rural America (or Canada, or Australia, or wherever you call home). When I see click-bait like these (hey, even online newspapers have to sell content) I try to pause, breath deeply, and try to work out the context. OK, whatever. But what do the […]
Through the years, the United Kingdom and the nations founded by the British Crown have followed some similar trends in urban and rural development. While each country has unique natural resources and development patterns, the share of people living in rural areas has contracted as people move to the cities for jobs and housing. It’s […]
The rural housing market is more of an idea than a thing. Housing supply and needs vary considerably across nations and regions, let alone around the world. Today’s post builds on our February theme of demographics and housing trends, and implications for rural development. We’ll discuss demographics and housing markets in the US, Canada, and […]
Demography is destiny, the old saying goes, but if the last few years have taught us anything, it is that destiny is rarely a straight line. Demographic trends used to feel like slow‑moving background noise—births, deaths, and migration quietly nudging our communities from decade to decade. Now those same forces are front‑page news, from aging […]
Preparing for Demographic Change in Rural America Reprinted from the Small Town & Rural Planning newsletter, Fall 2016. The other night, Planning Commission was looking at demographics in our rural county of about 12,000, with a touch of skepticism. Archuleta County grew rapidly during the last boom, and fell hard in the housing bust. Nobody […]
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 […]
Half of all Americans prefer to live in a community where the houses are smaller and closer together, but schools, stores, and restaurants are within walking distance. The same recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that the other half of all Americans prefer houses that are larger and farther apart, with amenities driving […]
Pew Research Center posted an interesting look at my fellow travelers in “Generation X”. We’re the 34-49 year-olds sandwiched between the younger Boomers and older Millenials, both oversized and over-covered in the media. We are, they point out, the middle child of the modern demography. Gen Xers have also gotten the short end of basic generational […]
Last month, in conjunction with the National Planning Conference in Atlanta, the American Planning Association (APA) released results of a new poll. It found interesting similarities of opinion between both young adults (my kids) and younger/potential retirees (my folks). National Poll Dispels Popular Assumptions About Improving Local Economies and Attracting New Residents Millennials, Baby Boomers […]
Americans are on the move. About 20,000 more people moved from Los Angeles County, California, to nearby San Bernardino County, than in the opposite direction in 2007-2011. The US Census Bureau has released new migration statistics based on their American Community Survey 5-year running average. While I really don’t trust ACS for smaller, especially rural, places, […]
