You Are Key to the "Small Town Feel" of a Community

Several people have recently mentioned their desire to retain the "small town feel" in their city. Sometimes that phrase is used because the town population has grown. Sometimes it is because of increased crime, new faces in the stores, or even proposals for more taxes.

The idea of a "small town feel" is sought after, especially in the Midwest.

Relators love to talk about the small town feel of a town where they are selling homes. Many communities love to brag about having a small-town feel. One research study had 80% of respondents saying the number one goal of their city should be to "preserve the small town feel."

Google helped me find 7,900 United States towns online, saying, "our city has a small town feel."

A simple search on Google finds over 518 million posts with the phrase: city has small town feel.

The phrase "small town feel" evokes a quiet, laid-back lifestyle in a close-knit community where people know each other, where natural resources are preserved, where people can rely on each other, and where people are connected and engaged in their community.

The idea of engagement and connection is at the root of creating a "small town feel." I would be as bold as to say keeping your town's "small town feel" starts in your neighborhood, and it depends on you!

You are the key to the "small town feel" of your community.

If you think the "small town feel" has disappeared, could it be that you have disengaged from the city?

Some people don't want to deal with their neighbors, volunteer in a park, or even make eye contact with others. But a community is built by those who are willing to engage. And a small town feel is created when you take the time to get to know people and find ways to connect.

When a rural person meets someone new, you are bound to find a mutual friend, somehow, someway, in your very first conversation. When you live somewhere with a "small town feel," your entire community is connected by less than three degrees of separation. And that is what creates our sense of belonging. Not just with a few people but with everyone. 

That's something that a city government cannot do for us.

Creating those connections is up to you! And honestly, it begins in your neighborhood.

If you think your town has lost its "small town feel," it may be that you are personally less connected. Could that loss of connection be a result of you becoming less engaged?

How do you re-engage? Start by learning and using the names of your immediate neighbors.

Then find a way to volunteer in the community. Not online, not with a Facebook group, but in person with a community festival committee or with an organization.

Next, attend community events, shop local, hang-out local, and get connected with others in a local club, organization, or even a local church.

All these steps create community connections that help you feel more connected and engaged. Before you know it, the town will have a "small town feel" again, starting right in your neighborhood.

IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS

This addendum about what constitutes a small town.

Collins English Dictionary: "Small town is used when referring to small places, usually in the United States, where people are friendly, honest, and polite, or to the people there. Small town is also sometimes used to suggest that someone has old-fashioned ideas." 

The US Census defines it this way: "The Census defines small towns as incorporated areas with 5,000 residents or fewer, and big cities as having populations of 50,000 or more. Midsize cities are defined as between 5,000-10,000 people." 

But the term "small-town feeling" is defined by various characteristics with a common theme: connectedness. The characteristics in the definition from Collins are things you and any citizen can do to create a small-town feel, the city cannot add to it or take it away.

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David Burton is a published author (with books on neighboring coming soon). Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/davidlburton