Community Projects
For decades, the “downtown” of a community has been the hub of the economic and social lives of rural residents across North Dakota. But today, most downtowns are fighting to remain a vital part of the community.
Since their heyday in the 1950s, business districts are shrinking, unable to compete with shopping malls and large entertainment centers. Small towns – and their downtowns – face an uncertain future, which is increasingly threatened by shifts in both the economy and population. As a result, some communities find themselves struggling to maintain their vitality – and even their sense of identity…
Throughout North Dakota, community groups and entrepreneurs with a vision are rehabilitating old buildings and putting them to new uses. In the process, they are preserving their community’s historical and cultural heritage – and its economy.