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Rethinking College Towns

As a practitioner in both consulting and local government, I have observed that in local communities nothing seems to prompt productive action better than a local crisis or strongly felt threat like a factory closure.

Unfortunately, we are often inclined to take action to close the barn door only after the horse has escaped.

That may be why "college town economic development" could be considered the ultimate oxymoron. Higher education has been a growth industry for half a century. As a result, college towns and university neighborhoods have prospered in good times and bad and typically see little reason to pursue economic growth.

New realities in the economy and technology, however, mean their admirable invulnerability is no longer assured. The paradigm of guaranteed growth in college town USA is coming to an end.

by John L. Gann

Full Story: http://www.newgeography.com/content/002583-rethinking-college-towns?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Newgeography+%28Newgeography.com+-+Economic%2C+demographic%2C+and+political+commentary+about+places%29

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