"Retaining and Transitioning Businesses in Communities" by Norm Walzer and Christopher Merrett

Rural America faces serious problems. That record has been playing for decades: the lack of jobs, healthcare, housing, and internet access are just some of the low notes.

Who hasn’t driven through a small town to observe empty buildings that once housed banks, hotels, or theaters and wondered about the place’s future?

Former farm towns that once bustled on Saturday nights, and distinct villages that prided themselves on self-sufficiency, are among the casualties as more and more Americans, who long left the farm, have moved to opportunities in the city.

So what’s become of the countryside? Norm Walzer has some answers. As founder of the Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University in 1989, Walzer, a former WIU economics professor, has been working on behalf of small towns for more than 40 years. In Opportunities in Rural Areas, a 2022 book he wrote with Christopher Merrett, the current director of the Institute for Rural Affairs, laid out both problems and possible opportunities for rural America.

First, some of the problems: a population decline including a shrinking farm population—not in the size of the farms but the number of farmers; a highway system that allows motorists to bypass rural communities; internet shopping that’s impacted the entire retail industry; and a severe decline in the nation’s healthcare infrastructure in rural areas.

Opportunities are also outlined: a growing discontent with urban life (that spiked during the pandemic); the desire for a better quality of life, such as gardening and recreational opportunities; the ability to work remotely (emphasizing the importance of internet access in rural areas); and affordable housing at a time when many middle-class families are challenged to own their own home in many cities. 

In the latest book by Walzer and Merrett, Retaining and Transitioning Businesses in Communities: Strategies in a New Era, opportunities are explored to help keep small businesses viable when company owners seek to retire or transfer ownership.

Each small town has its own set of advantages and problems, said Walzer, noting that there’s one constant: a town’s residents must be involved to effect progress. The fact that rural America skews older in age than the national norm might prove to be a benefit when it comes to organizing citizens to take action. “People who are retired bring experience and often have the time to contribute,” he said.

Walzer cited the importance of marketing the rural area, suggesting proximity to a river, lake, or state park (or other prominent feature) needs to be considered.

Another challenge is regionalization, he said. Towns must work together—to solve common needs such as education and healthcare—but also to expand their presence on the tourist map.

Examples of a regional approach include the Creative Corridor in Iowa that connects seven counties, including Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Virginia’s Growth Alliance includes six counties, while the Illinois Valley unit involves businesses in LaSalle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.

The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway connects cities and towns along the Illinois River from Ottawa to Havana.

The competition to attract visitors in the 21st century is intense, and it can be costly. That requires towns to be creative when it comes to getting noticed, said Walzer.

Other ideas will be shared at the Institute’s annual conference Feb. 25-26 in Springfield, Ill.