Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
Implementing arts-driven community and economic development to improve the places we live and love. Seasonal arts and culture ideas can be powerful drivers of economic growth in communities large and small, creating jobs, boosting tourism, and fostering local engagement. For community planners and economic developers, these initiatives act as valuable “cultural anchors,” stabilizing local economies […]
In city centers, fairgrounds, and events centers across America, holiday markets, autumn boutiques, and seasonal activities bring communities together and infuse neighborhoods with vibrant, festive spirit. From cider mills to arts and crafts markets, these attractions offer city residents and visitors alike a chance to experience a slice of rural charm within an urban setting. […]
Planners like to plan, and economic developers like to develop, but at the end of the day it’s about what we do to implement the plan that gets things done. Becky McCray and Deb Brown are practical people from small towns who are not planners—they are do-ers. Their mission is to help people get things […]
The Impact of Short-Term Rentals like Airbnb on Rural America: Opportunities and Challenges Over the past decade, short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb have overturned the travel and accommodation industry, providing tourists with unique stays in local homes rather than traditional hotels. While much of the conversation around short-term rentals has focused on urban markets, […]
At their public hearing on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the City of Burwell, Nebraska, City Council adopted the new Burwell, Nebraska, Comprehensive Plan, as well as a new Zoning Ordinance, Official Zoning Map, and Subdivision Regulations, as recommended by the Planning Commission. The Burwell City Council also voted to accept the Burwell Strategic Plan and […]
Rural America has long been associated with vast landscapes and agricultural heritage, but today, these communities face a new set of challenges. Population decline, economic struggles, and the lure of urban life have left many rural areas searching for ways to sustain themselves. In the midst of these challenges, however, a new story is unfolding—one […]
Pagosa Springs’ namesake hot springs provide a unique local resource in a steady supply of naturally hot water, bubbling up in geothermal hot springs around which the town grew up. The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to educate the community in small-scale, sustainable agriculture using local renewable energy. Over […]
Political Order and Political Decay is the second part of Francis Fukuyama’s epic tome of political economy begun in 2011 with The Origins of Political Order. The 2014 follow-up fills out the 2011 tome’s theory of politics as biology with consideration of Democracy and The Western State, Colonialism, and ultimately Political Decay—the question of whether all ordered […]
“Political institutions develop, often slowly and painfully, over time, as human societies strive to organize themselves to master their environments. But political decay occurs when political systems fail to adjust to changing circumstances.” —Francis Fukuyama, The Origins of Political Order In mankind’s mythical State of Nature, are humans solitary libertarian beings—the rugged individualist, who only […]
Pagosa Springs, Colorado, may have the prettiest backdrop for an industrial park you’ll ever find. Industrial Circle pictured here, with Cloman Blvd & Archuleta County’s Steven Field airport in the background. .