A Song of America’s Downtowns
A heartening surprise of our travel so far: the breadth, seriousness, and—in some places—success of the effort to revitalize small-town downtowns. Or, what 3 programmers from Uzbekistan taught us about America.
Recent posts
Articles & News
The Spirit of Easter, Small-Airport Edition
Unexpected hospitality on the road.
Swampwise!
Dipthongs turn into monopthongs, and other adventures among the cypress knees.
The Seas? The Skies? The Transformation of a Company Town, II
One economic titan has fallen, another has taken its place, but a city wants to expand its options.
St. Marys Interlude: The Okefenokee
Ever wondered what one of America's most famous swamps looks like? Wonder no more.
The Transformation of a Company Town: St. Marys, Part 1
What happens when the company shuts down?
The Word Cloud of a Town
How the people of Sioux Falls describe themselves and their hometown
A High School That Teaches Students to Fly, and Other Innovations in ‘Career Technical’ Education
"A lot of problem-solving skills grow out of the experience of doing things rather than thinking about things."
‘Career Technical’ Education: More Middle in the Middle Class?
Training students for jobs that are less likely to be outsourced, de-skilled, or stuck at minimum wage.
‘Where Do You Go to Church?’ The Video and Mapping Versions
More ways of taking the measure of this vast country.
The Vermont Lake Monsters, and Other Updates From the Road
Are people in smaller towns "nicer" than cosmopolitans? No. But their political structures are working better.
The Glamorous Life of a Journalist, Couples-Getaway Edition
Addressing America's infrastructure crisis, while people are staying right in the infrastructure.
Greenville, Burlington, and American Futures
"I loathed it with the heat of a thousand million suns."
High School in Southern Georgia: What ‘Career Technical’ Education Looks Like
Earlier this month my wife and I spent about a week, in two visits, in the little town of St. Marys, Georgia, on the southernmost coast of Georgia just north of Florida and…
What My School Means to Me: Essays from 3 High Schoolers
How students at an unusual school think—and write—about their experience.
On the Road Again: St. Marys
Starting the Mardi Gras festivities early in southernmost Georgia