“Fallows said however divided our nation seems nationally, on smaller scales communities are coming together to rebuild their downtowns, improve their school systems, invest in public art and conquer everyday problems that are never even addressed on the national stage.

” ‘Just at the time when national political issues seem so problematic and bitter and polarized, there’s a kind of renaissance happening in smaller cities across the county,’ Fallows said.”

This is a preview article, by the New Journal’s community reporter Kevin Robinson, before a public event in Pensacola’s CivicCon series on September 25, at the REX theater. As the article says:

“CivicCon is a partnership of the Pensacola News Journal and the Studer Community Institute to spark discussions on how we can use civic engagement and smart planning to make our region a better place to live, work, grow and invest.

“There is a lot we can learn from the successes and failures of other places, something Fallows will speak to Sept. 25. His free CivicCon presentation will be 6-7:30 p.m., Sept. 25 at the Rex Theatre, 18 N. Palafox St. Registration is available by searching CivicCon at eventbrite.com. You can submit a question for Fallows by emailing it to lnelless@gannett.com.”