Free Land

On today’s front page of USA Today there is a great article about what small towns in the Plains states are doing to attract economic development. The article (http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050209/1a_cover09.art.htm) focuses specifically on Kansas and the six communities throughout the state that are giving away residential lots if you agree to come build a home there (http://www.kansasfreeland.com/). Not only are they giving away the land, but they’ll help you with your down payment. They’ll help you find a job. They’ll help you acclimate to a different way of life. And they’re doing all this for one reason, to save their towns.

This concept of recruiting citizens to small towns with incentives is a trend that is catching on. Throughout the Midwest and Plains states, communities are working to stop the “brain drain” and embracing “hometown competitiveness,” a strategy developed by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship in Lincoln, NE. These communities are realizing that hunting for big companies to come in and support a community isn’t a sustainable economic development plan. They have recognized what I see as the new paradigm shift in economic development, the essentialness of entrepreneurs. They encourage people to move into their towns, set up shop, and live the American Dream. These communities are building their futures one family at a time, on free land.