Small town America

North Country Public Radio ran a few good pieces recently related to the future of small town America.

There are certain traits about most small towns that bother me. The insularity. The frequent small-mindedness. The conservativism. The lack of arts and culture. Not all small towns are like this but there are general traits.

But there are many aspects of small town life that appeal to me. That's why I've chosen to live in one, despite the fact that many of my high school classmates now live in big cities. I like the walkability. I like the (more or less) clean air. I like the green space, the access to the outdoors. I like the recreational opportunities. I like the relative quiet (though even that sadly seems to be changing in my town).

I don't have anything against big cities. I love to visit Montreal. I love Boston. But I wouldn't want to live in either. Some people like hustle and bustle. Some people like peace and quiet. There should be a place for both.

Anyway, NCPR had a story on the Rural Journalism Summit, whose purpose was to identify and raise awareness of the big issues facing small communities.

They also had a story on how many small town papers are bucking the trend exhibited by their metropolitan counterparts and actually growing their circulation.