Lessons From This Year’s Strongest Town: Brattleboro, Vermont

With a population hovering around 12,000, Brattleboro, Vermont, is defined in large part by three things: its traditional downtown (complete with multi-story brick buildings facing away from the Connecticut River), a smattering of suburbs branching out from that core, and rural vistas interspersed with natural areas west of Interstate 91, which runs through the town. In many ways, Brattleboro is the archetypal North American city. So, what does this town do differently compared to others like it?