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Some small towns, especially those with good old architecture and history, that are in the orbit of larger cities may attract people who can use them as bedroom communities -with history and character- to raise their kids.
Some small towns in the orbit of larger cities that can harness their agricultural resources to provide in demand specialty products -read "local produce, cheese, grass fed beef,etc."- and light industry, perhaps processing the aformentioned products, may be able to survive on those merits.
Some small towns in incredibly scenic and/or touristy areas may survive due to tourism jobs and an increasingly mobile work-from-home workforce if they can provide internet access and amenities.
But small towns that are in the proverbial 'middle-of-nowhere' are headed towards becoming ghost towns unless they have a factory or other industry such as mining or timber that can support the populace.
Due to automation of farming, the original job killing automation, towns in the bread basket just have less and less reason to exist anymore.
Only a relative few places can be tourism or retirement centers. These are generally at a key physical spot or close to a big city, and typically have a "hook" of some sort. Those places might gain strong service and real estate economies. But the locals won't necessarily have much money. And towns outside of these conditions will be stagnant or outright decline.
I bet it could get even worse for some small towns along highways if big rigs ever become automated because it means there could be less need for locals to work at truck stops,eateries,hotels, and motels servicing the truckers.
Imo, no. Sprawly cul de sacs won't go anywhere, and that new urbanist style development will become the new small town. In order for small towns to come back, jobs have to come back, and I can't imagine Millennial Co. opening their new HQ in Cowville, population 1,700, nearest big city - 2 hours.
It's not about the distance from the big city; that small town needs to have the amenities of a big city in order to be competitive. Austin, TX went from small town to small city in a decade or two. Waco is the prime example of Austin staying as a small town if it had not made the shift. Even Waco is starting it's own shift thanks to the catalyst of that TV show.
Having a decent airport requires substantial land and a good selection of non-stop domestic and international flights. That makes a city/town livable. A good freeway system to go around town is also a plus for a metro area of any size.
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Originally Posted by pnwguy2
I think small town america is indeed a conceptual future growth area. With on-line workers this is bound to become more of a substantial job center.
Despite the internet, I see America consolidating population into the city, and in very few metro areas, similar to Australia and Canada. Very few small towns will exist in the future, and most of these would be along the interstates as service areas between the major metros. Even interstate service centers may struggle to exist due to the major cities being along the coast, like Australia, and cross-continental flights being the only feasible way to reach these points.
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Originally Posted by ki0eh
I work with an organization in a community with 2010 Census population just over 2,000. It's 2 hours and 1 minute to the nearest NFL stadium. 20 minutes to Walmart.
This community used to host a Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Though it still has some production facilities run by the multinational that took it over, the folks I deal with who are early-retired corporate folks probably don't have local replacements volunteering to run the local festival, holding seats on local government boards, etc.
I have a lot of trouble finding service providers for equipment, or contractors to bid on projects here.
Geospatial inequality should be as recognized among opinion makers as income or wealth inequality.
Based on an expectation of continued fiddling while much of the country falls apart, it's hard to escape the conclusion that small town America is doomed.
I love Peoria, IL. Too bad the state screwed them when Interstate 55 was routed to Bloomington (40 miles away) instead, but it goes around Springfield--the state capital. The bluffs surrounding Peoria Lake create lovely scenery and hilly West Peoria is very scenic.
But the state's population is centered on Chicago and its suburbs and an overwhelming number of state politicians hail from there. Things may have been different if it had won the state capital lottery instead of Springfield. But the economy is in decline, especially with Caterpillar's troubles, and the statewide trend of population loss (disproportionately in Downstate) due to weather, taxes, popularity of the Sun Belt, etc. with native Illinoisans/Midwesterners.
I live in Bluffton, SC a town which once was a small town of 1,500 people 15 years ago, that now has over 20,000 people 15,000 more if you include Okatie an incorporated town next to us that we share zip codes with. 3% unemployment. We're not a suburb of any larger city. We do have largest retirement community in SC to our west and A major tourist destination in Hilton Head Island to our east though. Towns in the south east are doing well with all the people, capital & businesses relocating here from the northeast/midwest.
Why is it a big deal that we are becoming more efficient as a society by moving to cities? If we continue to urbanize and let those back water places turn back to nature, it will be good for the country and the environment.
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