Discussions of livability typically focus exclusively on urban living, yet 20% of the country lives in rural areas or small towns. As speaker Rachel Goslins pointed out at Partners’ "Building Livable Communities” forum, “It’s not necessarily true that a livable community is a city.” Goslins, the executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, asked us all to consider what livability means for small towns and what urbanites can learn from them.
Her observation is a fitting one. Small towns fare well in many aspects of livability, boasting low crime rates, access to natural amenities, affordable housing and land, ease of mobility (for most), and engaged citizens with a strong sense of community. Yet there are many barriers to livability in small towns, as they strive to deal with changing demographics, the decline of traditional industries, environmental damage, and deteriorating infrastructure. These woes may sound familiar to residents of any size city, but the effect and the solutions for small towns are often different. Long distances between amenities, limited resources, and negative stereotypes about rural America can make these challenges more difficult to surmount.
However, with the right strategies and leadership, small size can be leveraged as an advantage. Leaders in Fairfield, Iowa recognized these potential advantages, and made their town into a model for entrepreneurship and small town livability. Since 1990, this town of 9,000 has attracted more than $280 million for start-up companies, approximately 1/3 of Iowa’s overall venture capital investment. They have created 4,000 new jobs, invested millions in new construction, and increased per capita income dramatically. Fairfield boasts more Inc. 500 companies than any other city its size, has received national awards for entrepreneurship, and has mentored more than 40 cities on their strategies. Culturally, Fairfield’s “First Friday” art walk attracts 2,000-3,000 people from across the region each month, the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center hosts nationally renowned acts, and the downtown boasts full occupation, with art galleries, coffee shops, retail, and a wide variety of international cuisines.
So how did they do it? Admittedly, Fairfield has one unique asset that few places match. Their Maharishi University attracts students of Transcendental Meditation program from over seventy countries, endowing Fairfield with an unexpectedly cosmopolitan nature. However, Fairfield has capitalized on this and other assets by following a number of the key strategies that Partners for Livable Communities recommends for success in any small town:
Don’t Attract, Create
Small towns are more successful when they create jobs rather than trying to compete with larger markets to attract outside businesses. Low cost of land and commercial space can be an advantage for start up companies, while a smaller, tight-knit business network provides support for entrepreneurs. The Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association, formed in 1989, is considered one of the nation’s most successful support networks, providing a community of colleagues along with financial and technical supports. Fairfield has also fostered a unique culture of entrepreneurism. By combining the traditional Midwestern work ethic with the risk-taking psyche brought in by students of the Maharishi University, Fairfield entrepreneurs are able to get the capital they need, with the hard work to back it up.
Small towns can also support entrepreneurs with education & training, access to research, and quality infrastructure. Small size can be a competitive advantage, allowing towns to nimbly respond to trends for new markets, such as alternative energy. A recent report from the ICMA provides a closer look at how towns can prosper through this process of “economic gardening.”
Leverage Fulcrums of Change
Traditional small town institutions such as churches, service clubs, and arts organizations can grow to become “fulcrums of change” in their community, acting as anchors for place-making, strengthening community pride, and developing innovative partnerships to tackle issues such as economic development, environmental threats, youth-at-risk, and cultural tourism.
Fairfield’s full downtown and successful “art walks” are accomplished in part by leveraging the Maharishi University to attract artists and visitors to their town and encourage investment in local businesses. The Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, opened in 2007 under the leadership of two dedicated members of the arts community, has also been an important “fulcrum” for the downtown. Featuring over 30,200 square feet of performing and exhibit space, it hosts a diverse line up of world-class performances. (The center’s fall line up includes a Kenyan Acrobatic troupe, a Danish Pianist, and a Patsy Cline tribute.) Fairfield has built on local institutions like the farmer’s market and the Abundance Eco Village to become a model of sustainability, now boasting more homes with solar energy and green building features than any other town in the state.
Partners “Institutions as Fulcrums of Change” report , part of the organization's larger initiative of the same name, provides a wealth of examples for using the power of your town’s institutions to achieve community goals.
Build Human Capital
Creative new businesses, strong institutions, and unique cultural offerings can attract valuable human capital that many small towns are seeking. A remarkable 38% of residents in Jefferson County (where Fairfield sits) hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 24% in the nation and 21% in Iowa. Many towns focus on attracting talent through young professionals, but other oft-overlooked populations, such as retirees and immigrants, can also bring skills and population that small towns need. Fairfield has seen success in part because they were able to work with a new population, the meditators that many locals first saw as strange and out-of-place in this small Midwestern town. Though the process has not been without conflict, leaders have sought to bridge the gap, with the city council of both meditators and non-meditators working to shape a shared vision. Small towns can benefit by looking to non-traditional groups, such as minorities, youth, and retirees, for skills and talents that may have previously been overlooked.
Investments in nascent businesses, vibrant downtowns, strong cultural institutions, and new populations are all investments in livability. A livable community rich in quality of life and economic opportunity is more likely to attract skilled workers, satisfied residents, and enthusiastic tourists. Small towns that create jobs instead of chasing them, leverage institutions for change, and embrace new populations, can achieve a level of livability to be envied by urban and rural areas alike.
Her observation is a fitting one. Small towns fare well in many aspects of livability, boasting low crime rates, access to natural amenities, affordable housing and land, ease of mobility (for most), and engaged citizens with a strong sense of community. Yet there are many barriers to livability in small towns, as they strive to deal with changing demographics, the decline of traditional industries, environmental damage, and deteriorating infrastructure. These woes may sound familiar to residents of any size city, but the effect and the solutions for small towns are often different. Long distances between amenities, limited resources, and negative stereotypes about rural America can make these challenges more difficult to surmount.
However, with the right strategies and leadership, small size can be leveraged as an advantage. Leaders in Fairfield, Iowa recognized these potential advantages, and made their town into a model for entrepreneurship and small town livability. Since 1990, this town of 9,000 has attracted more than $280 million for start-up companies, approximately 1/3 of Iowa’s overall venture capital investment. They have created 4,000 new jobs, invested millions in new construction, and increased per capita income dramatically. Fairfield boasts more Inc. 500 companies than any other city its size, has received national awards for entrepreneurship, and has mentored more than 40 cities on their strategies. Culturally, Fairfield’s “First Friday” art walk attracts 2,000-3,000 people from across the region each month, the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center hosts nationally renowned acts, and the downtown boasts full occupation, with art galleries, coffee shops, retail, and a wide variety of international cuisines.
So how did they do it? Admittedly, Fairfield has one unique asset that few places match. Their Maharishi University attracts students of Transcendental Meditation program from over seventy countries, endowing Fairfield with an unexpectedly cosmopolitan nature. However, Fairfield has capitalized on this and other assets by following a number of the key strategies that Partners for Livable Communities recommends for success in any small town:
Don’t Attract, Create
Small towns are more successful when they create jobs rather than trying to compete with larger markets to attract outside businesses. Low cost of land and commercial space can be an advantage for start up companies, while a smaller, tight-knit business network provides support for entrepreneurs. The Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association, formed in 1989, is considered one of the nation’s most successful support networks, providing a community of colleagues along with financial and technical supports. Fairfield has also fostered a unique culture of entrepreneurism. By combining the traditional Midwestern work ethic with the risk-taking psyche brought in by students of the Maharishi University, Fairfield entrepreneurs are able to get the capital they need, with the hard work to back it up.
Small towns can also support entrepreneurs with education & training, access to research, and quality infrastructure. Small size can be a competitive advantage, allowing towns to nimbly respond to trends for new markets, such as alternative energy. A recent report from the ICMA provides a closer look at how towns can prosper through this process of “economic gardening.”
Leverage Fulcrums of Change
Traditional small town institutions such as churches, service clubs, and arts organizations can grow to become “fulcrums of change” in their community, acting as anchors for place-making, strengthening community pride, and developing innovative partnerships to tackle issues such as economic development, environmental threats, youth-at-risk, and cultural tourism.
Fairfield’s full downtown and successful “art walks” are accomplished in part by leveraging the Maharishi University to attract artists and visitors to their town and encourage investment in local businesses. The Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, opened in 2007 under the leadership of two dedicated members of the arts community, has also been an important “fulcrum” for the downtown. Featuring over 30,200 square feet of performing and exhibit space, it hosts a diverse line up of world-class performances. (The center’s fall line up includes a Kenyan Acrobatic troupe, a Danish Pianist, and a Patsy Cline tribute.) Fairfield has built on local institutions like the farmer’s market and the Abundance Eco Village to become a model of sustainability, now boasting more homes with solar energy and green building features than any other town in the state.
Partners “Institutions as Fulcrums of Change” report , part of the organization's larger initiative of the same name, provides a wealth of examples for using the power of your town’s institutions to achieve community goals.
Build Human Capital
Creative new businesses, strong institutions, and unique cultural offerings can attract valuable human capital that many small towns are seeking. A remarkable 38% of residents in Jefferson County (where Fairfield sits) hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 24% in the nation and 21% in Iowa. Many towns focus on attracting talent through young professionals, but other oft-overlooked populations, such as retirees and immigrants, can also bring skills and population that small towns need. Fairfield has seen success in part because they were able to work with a new population, the meditators that many locals first saw as strange and out-of-place in this small Midwestern town. Though the process has not been without conflict, leaders have sought to bridge the gap, with the city council of both meditators and non-meditators working to shape a shared vision. Small towns can benefit by looking to non-traditional groups, such as minorities, youth, and retirees, for skills and talents that may have previously been overlooked.
Investments in nascent businesses, vibrant downtowns, strong cultural institutions, and new populations are all investments in livability. A livable community rich in quality of life and economic opportunity is more likely to attract skilled workers, satisfied residents, and enthusiastic tourists. Small towns that create jobs instead of chasing them, leverage institutions for change, and embrace new populations, can achieve a level of livability to be envied by urban and rural areas alike.