2022: A Year in Renew
A look back at some of the stories of local-level ideas that are driving and inspiring renewal nationwide.
Civic Life
163 posts
How Local Governments Can Engage Residents of All Ages
When community members can't, or don't, or won't, go to town halls to attend local government meetings, some local elected officials have found a way to go to their constituents.
New Podcast Highlights Transformations Taking Place In Rural America
“Reimagine Rural” from the Brookings Institution showcases communities across America that are in the midst of renewal.
Inside Our Towns: Josh Fryday, California’s Chief Service Officer
National division might grab headlines, but the story of uniting citizens through service in California is growing.
Inside Our Towns: Scott and Tiffany Whaley
Feeding, sustaining, and building community in Kershaw, South Carolina through KARE.
Kershaw Invests in Community with New Ideas in Old Spaces
A train depot that’s a museum. A bank branch building that’s become a library. Another former bank that is serving as an early education center. Here is how this South Carolina town is repurposing buildings of the past to build up its future.
How One Small Ohio Town Practices Democracy
Small is big in Mount Blanchard, Ohio. The town approached change in two ways, and Deborah Fallows reports on the impact she and her husband, James, saw during their travels there.
Inside Our Towns: Tighe Bullock
Evan Sanford catches up with Tighe Bullock, the accountant, lawyer, downtown developer, and construction contractor, on his latest work in Charleston, West Virginia.
Inside Our Towns: Allen Carroll and Story Maps
Evan Sanford explores the origin and evolution of Esri’s story maps with the innovative storytelling tool’s creator, Allen Carroll.
To Both See and Tell the Country: From the Road through North Carolina to South Carolina
Why seeing more of America matters.
‘To Arrive Where We Started and Know the Place for the First Time’
The America that Americans Don't Know About, and Why That Matters
An Outsider Works with Insiders: Examples from Akron and Cleveland
Mac Love, who has spent much of his life outside Ohio, uses new technologies to bring community residents and college students together. That collaborative approach is now helping citizens’ voices be heard and is driving meaningful change in their neighborhoods.
A Dining-room Meeting Begins a New Chapter in One Town’s Story
As Isaac and Heidi Tucker saw it, there was no use in waiting for their town to improve itself. Instead, they took action, and are rallying renewal efforts in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania today.
A Town of Doers Works Together to Preserve Their Past and Plan Their Future
Residents and businesses in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania have adopted a mantra: if it’s a community problem, it’s their problem too.
Inside Our Towns: PA Humanities
A look at Humanities in the 21st century, the power of storytelling in community development, and more.
Inside Our Towns: Jason Neises
Discussing opportunities, real and perceived challenges in small-town America, and the impact of Community Heart & Soul in Iowa.