Rural Resurrection

Remembering the Great Peshtigo Fire

Peshtigo survived the worst fire in American history and now uses its history to drive today’s economic development. The Great Peshtigo Fire also burned 16 other towns, but the damage… Read more »

Nine Meals from Anarchy

What would happen if your community’s food supply suddenly stopped? The phrase “nine meals from anarchy” is a stunning warning, suggesting that just three days without food (or nine missed… Read more »

National Preparedness Month 2025

September is National Preparedness Month. Each year, National Preparedness Month is recognized to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning. Typically, FEMA puts out a themed campaign during National Preparedness Month… Read more »

Star Communities: Links to Stories

The Star Communities series of posts has been a popular set of posts on this blog. As stated in each post, Star Communities are those communities that have shined above… Read more »

Star Communities: Glencoe Overcoming Internet Trolls

Star Communities are those communities that have shone above the rest. They may have overcome immense tragedy, or they have simply excelled beyond expectations for a town of their size…. Read more »

Looking for Solutions to the High Cost of Replacing Bridges

It is no secret that bridges are one of the biggest problems facing our infrastructure budgets, not just in the Midwest, but throughout America. As gas tax and other funding… Read more »

Hiring a Branding Consultant for Your City

As I’ve discussed previously on this blog, communities are quickly realizing the importance of branding. Conveying a brand helps build a sense of unity among residents. It helps market the… Read more »

The Importance of an Effective Wayfinding System

Navigating through the areas we live, work, and play has invariably been a predicament for all of us. Even with the advent of GPS and Google Maps, we all eventually… Read more »

Bicycle Tourism is Regional Economic Development

Bicycle tourism is an under utilized sector of the tourism market for small towns. Many communities are realizing how impactful bicycle tourism is important to local economic development. However, those… Read more »

RAGBRAI ’25 is Coming!

The annual pilgrimage of biking enthusiasts will soon begin. Hefting their bikes and their gear into cars, trucks, buses, and trailers, they are coming en masse to Iowa. Specifically, they’ll… Read more »