Successful place-based policies require what we used to c...

Successful place-based policies require what we used to call "local boosters". One problem with so much of the so-called "Red States" is that the local rich are no longer boosters for their communities���indeed, no longer feel a part of the community in any meaningful way: Noah Smith: How to Save the Troubled American Heartland: "James Fallows and Deborah Fallows... notice a number of common approaches among towns that are on the mend. Two of these... universities and immigration...

...Creating a skilled workforce and making a town an attractive destination for companies looking to invest... is a function best served by community colleges and specialized public schools.... Universities��� function is different���they draw highly skilled individuals to a town, some of whom then start businesses and do other high-value work.... Immigrants, meanwhile, support a declining region���s tax base.... The authors describe a number of places where immigrants... provided a local labor force to lure business investment, and provided a shot of energy and cultural vitality.... Other successful approaches... local leaders who bring together government, business and nonprofits to carry out big projects.... I was reminded of Pike Powers, the consultant who helped create the public-private partnerships that made Austin, Texas, a world-class tech cluster.... The most successful cities are those where the government, the private sector and nonprofits all work in concert....

Although they don���t explicitly say it, Fallows and Fallows also provide a road map for how the American heartland needs to change. A landscape of small towns with populations in the hundreds or thousands needs to consolidate into a patchwork of small cities with populations in the tens of thousands. Small cities like the ones the authors visit offer much of the comfort, space and friendliness of the small-town atmosphere, while also taking advantage of agglomeration economies...

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