Congrats to the Winners!
Two small towns come out strong in a national poll. They're among our favorites, and we're glad for these results.
Recent posts
Articles & News
Libraries Lead the Way—Again
Every aspect of civic life has involved reinvention and adjustment, through this pandemic era. One of America's most "traditional" institutions has adjusted fastest and best.
The Future of Power
Substituting Hope for Fear in Small Town America
The Quiet Competence That Makes the Country Run
Being "inside the clouds" is stressful. But when you break into the clear, you see things you might not have noticed before. A view of the "soft skills" part of America's human infrastructure, and their difference from those in China and elsewhere.
Examining Change at Global, Local Levels
How do global changes affect us on the local level, and vice versa?
Change: Global & Local
How do global changes affect us on the local level, and vice versa? Writer and journalist James Fallows, and the founder of FutureMap, Parag Khanna, discuss the interplay between the…
‘Renewal’ at All Levels — The Personal to the Global. An Urgent Conversation with Two Leaders of the Movement
What can a conversation about 'Renewal' teach us about climate change?
In Honor of Charly Jupiter Hamilton
A person who became the soul of his community, explains his vision—in art, and in memorable words.
Covid Pioneer Families
How has the pandemic motivated people to reconsider where they live, and why? Here is a story from South Dakota about how families are changing—and towns as well.
The Justice Paradox in America
Developing a common definition of justice could go a long way towards healing our national rifts. But how do we arrive at a shared definition?
Named to the ‘Best of Inland Empire’ 2021
Nathan Gonzales, Archivist and head of Special Collections at A.K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands, CA, recently named Deborah and James Fallows’s Our Towns book and documentary to his “Editor’s…
Bring in the Refugees
The most encouraging front-page headline I’ve seen in the New York Times in a long time was this, from Labor Day. It was on a story by Miriam Jordan and Jennifer Steinhauer, and…
A New Host for Mountain Stage
The founder of a popular and influential NPR program brings on a new host.
Transforming Industrial Heartland Communities – And Healing Our Fractured Politics
Some communities have made the transition to a new, thriving economy in a changed world. Others are still struggling.
Opinion: Civil dialogue, engagement can renew democracy
Lindsay Lloyd, Christopher Walsh, and William McKenzie featured Deborah and James Fallows in their September 7, 2021 opinion piece in The Atlanta Journal Constitution. They write, “community leaders must identify…
Promoting Civic Engagement, Community Renewal, and Civil Dialogue
In their recent Inside Sources opinion piece, authors by Lindsay Lloyd, Christopher Walsh, and William McKenzie, moderators of the George W. Bush Institute’s Democracy Talks series, discuss the barriers to greater…