Farming in the Desert
A small town in Arizona grows a thriving food scene.
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Deb Fallows at the University of Redlands
During our West Coast travels for American Futures reports in the winter of 2014-2015, my wife Deb and I were based at the University of Redlands, in southern California. From…
Awards for Civic Engagement: 37 New Examples
A big question in national politics this year is what exactly “engagement” means, beyond showing up at rallies. As Yoni Appelbaum pointed out last week, Donald Trump supporters are notable for…
Paradise Duluth
As part of the unfolding saga of start-up businesses as the crucial creators of new jobs, and of particular start-ups like craft breweries (along with tech incubators, arts companies, manufacturing “maker…
Wichita, Salisbury, Knoxville, Seattle: Revival Updates
Here are some recent developments that are related to the “America Is Putting Itself Back Together” argument in our March issue. They’re also connected to the subject of my post earlier…
On National Beer Day, Craft Brewers Improving Water, and Life, in More Ways Than One
Thanks to my Atlantic colleague Kathy Gilsinan for the reminder of why today is different from all other days: It’s National Beer Day! Congratulations to beer. Last week I did an item about the reasons…
Craft Breweries: No, I’m Not Kidding, They Actually Matter in Civic Development
If you’re going to subscribe to only one magazine — well, really you should be subscribing to more! But you could start with The Atlantic, and then move on to include, as…
From Fresno to Duluth to Allentown, with Montana in Between
Here are some generally positive developments from places we’ve visited in our travels. Fresno: This evening Fresno, California, held its big “State of Downtown” event. You can see the details here.…
Checklists for Success, from Knoxville to Salt Lake City, and Beyond
We’re back to followup on my March issue story about local-level civic coherence, even at a time of the worst national-level dysfunction in at least a century. Here goes: 1. Salt…
Language as Art in Pittsburgh
Exiled writers use words as art and inspire a community.
Startups Creating Jobs in the United States, Around the World — and Now in Cuba
Let’s get back to some positive news — actually, let’s connect the positive news I’m about to give, to the drear of domestic U.S. political news that consumes us all.…
Listening to Montana
In Chester, Montana, a world away from city life inspires an artist's music.
Shifting Back to Better News: What’s Happening in Ohio
A big theme of our March issue cover stories (main story here; “11 signs of success” checklist; “Library Card“) is that one the bleakest aspect of modern America is the one…
How Libraries Are Becoming Modern Makerspaces
They've long served as communal gathering spots, but these civic institutions are becoming gateways to technological tinkering.
With the PBS NewsHour, in Greenville, SC
Last night the PBS NewsHour ran a 10-minute segment hosted by Judy Woodruff and shot in Greenville, South Carolina, where Deb and I have visited frequently and reported extensively over the past few…
A Public Library Tells the Civic Story of a Town
Greenville's public library puts its past and present on full display: mills, racial history, internationalism, public-private collaborations, and culture.