Even with Herculean efforts of small rural communities to keep “their spot on the map” by trying to retain the young most highly educated youth, the siphoning of human and social capital necessary to sustain smaller rural communities to more urban locations will continue to incrementally neuter economic and civic sustainability of smaller rural communities.
New population growth will be necessary to sustain rural community institutions and infrastructure. New residents must come from urban “transplants”, foreign immigration and an increased native population “birth rate”.
Without this remedy – significant population infusion – modern era ghost towns will take the place of many American small town rural communities.
Our rural education system sponsors and contributes to this trend,
according to Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas authors of Hollowing
Out the Middle – The Rural Brain Drain and What it means to America.
To read the full, original article click on this link: URBAN TALENT POACHING – A SMALL TOWN RURAL WAY OF LIFE COMES TO AN END OR THE MAKING OF RURAL GHOST TOWNS « ChuckEckenstahler's Blog
Author: Chuck Eckenstahler
