Finding the City of Lost Hills
California's agricultural Central Valley—so rich in output, so poor in median income—is the focal point of trends in immigration, in education, in political trends, in sustainability.
Civic Life
164 posts
Sustainability: Suddenly the action is local.
Ten years ago, we were searching for examples of local-level sustainability efforts. Now they are everywhere.
The Enduring Power of Place
Americans like to know where they are from—and like to think about where they might go. These contradictory realities are part of America's past, and of its future opportunities.
Florida Man!
How a regional Florida newspaper informs its citizens and encourages activism.
How Story Maps Drive Progress
At Our Towns, we’ve been following the tools and applications of geospatial information systems (GIS), as they have progressed from promise to delivery. GIS helps in countless ways: for cities…
The ‘Civic Soft Power’ of Public Places
You know it when you feel it: How the public places of a town reveal a sense of its soul.
Local Action with Global Effects: the Saga of the Leaf Blower
We've just lived through 50 years of an invention that transformed neighborhood life in much of America, the gas-powered leaf blower. That era is coming to an end.
‘With the Wind at our Back’
Ten years in, a promising change in the national mood. Now, what comes next.
‘Change is in the Air – in Redlands!’
A panel of residents, business owners, and community stakeholders discuss the southern California city then, and now.
How Infrastructure Funding Is Bringing High-Speed Internet to Hard-to-Reach Places
A fresh round of funds was pumped into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Broadband project when the infrastructure bill passed a year ago. That investment is bringing connectivity to some of the most rugged and remote corners of the country.
Meadville Leaders Turn a Community’s Plan into Action
Community leaders in Meadville, Pennsylvania listened to, and included, residents in planning and policymaking to drive informed change.
Is Rural America Growing Again? Recent Data Suggests Yes
Despite unprecedented Covid-19-related death rates, rural America shows population growth after a decade of decline.
Discovering ‘Cultural Debris’: Making a Big World Small by Paying Attention to Permanent Things
Sharing what we experience when we travel can open communities to themselves and others.
Inside Our Towns: John Kropf
John Kropf discusses his latest book, 'Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company', which explores Sandusky, Ohio's innovative industrial heritage and his family's role in it.
‘How America’s Towns are Writing the Future of the Country’
Residents, coaches, reporters discuss local-level community revitalization initiative at Jefferson Educational Society Global Summit event.
A Year in Renew, A Year-in-Review: The Stories from 2022 of American Renewal
The Our Towns team looks back at the stories of local-level ideas that are driving and inspiring renewal nationwide.