Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
The Power of Local Wisdom In an era where urbanization dominates headlines, small towns and rural communities are quietly proving that transformative change doesn’t require skyscrapers or billion-dollar budgets. Instead, it thrives on listening small, thinking big, and working with what you’ve got. From church basements to local cafés, the most meaningful improvements grow from […]
This article launches our November series: From Ideas to Action—A Month of Praxis and Implementation in Rural Communities. Over the next five weeks, we’ll explore how small towns drive rural progress by combining local knowledge with practical implementation strategies. We’re starting with the basics: What is praxis in rural planning, and why does it matter? […]
November: A Month of Praxis & Implementation in Rural Communities What if rural change doesn’t mean waiting— but building? This November, we’re digging deep into the real force behind rural progress: the partnership of praxis and implementation. This isn’t about jargon or top-down plans. It’s not about importing urban models or chasing buzzwords. It’s about […]
In small towns and rural communities, the future doesn’t just happen—it’s shaped by the choices people make. Good planning powers good governance by ensuring rural communities grow thoughtfully and resiliently. Effective public policy is essential to good governance— good planning in rural communities isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. Whether through action or inaction, every town is […]
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 […]
