Welcome, Hillville Readers!
I was honored that the Micropolitan Manifesto and our business George Bowers Grocery were featured this week at theHillville.com a new, thoughtful publication about urban Appalachian identity.
Moving back to Virginia was a way to connect with my extended family and my heritage. What I’ve discovered—and what other urban escapees returning to Appalachia may, as well—is that nothing present or past is as simplistic as we are lead to believe or as crass as it is stereotypically presented. There are many nuanced threads of history, culture, race, religion and economics that touch lives in Appalachia and other micropolitans across the country.
Many urbanists and their sustainability-focused cohorts and peers focus on our largest cities to the exclusion of rural urbanism. They’re missing out!
Check out Appalachia’s advantages if entrepreneurs chose to rebuild the micropolitans:
- A history of self-reliance and independence; two traits shared by entrepreneurs;
- A culture that values handmade and artisan; also one that remembers “old time” skills valuable to those interested in sustainable living;
- Comparatively inexpensive land and existing businesses for sale;
- In the deepest hollows an awakening that there needs to be “Plan B” after coal; resulting in growing incentives for independent, local business investment (check out these state-specific business funding resources);
- Close proximity to nature, which is great for “city” escape…
For these reasons, I believe
Appalachia is a great place to begin a micropolitan reinvention and revitalization!
