Confronting the Vacancy Trend
The steady outmigration from the rural Great Plains, particularly of young adults, is a demographic trend that undermines every other futuristic vision. Empty main streets, shuttered schools, and an aging population create a vicious cycle of disinvestment and declining services. The Institute's Rural Re-Population project starts from a provocative premise: this trend is not inevitable. It is the result of specific policy failures, economic shifts, and a powerful cultural narrative that equates success with urban life. Our work uses a combination of data analytics, behavioral science, and narrative design to identify and prototype interventions that can make small prairie towns not just viable, but vibrant and attractive to a new generation. We are not interested in nostalgia or recreating the 1950s farm economy. Instead, we ask: What would a 21st-century rural hub look like, and who would want to live there?
The Pillars of Magnetic Communities
Our research, synthesizing global case studies and local success stories, has identified four interconnected pillars that define a 'magnetic community' for the future. The first is Hyper-Connected Livability. This means universal, affordable, high-speed broadband as a utility, not a luxury. It means developing distributed renewable microgrids for energy independence and lower costs. It involves reimagining housing, promoting the construction of efficient, modern homes and the adaptive reuse of historic buildings into live-work spaces suitable for remote knowledge workers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. The second pillar is New Economy Incubation. We help communities audit their assets—from unique natural features to underutilized industrial spaces—and develop strategies to support niche industries. This could be a bio-materials lab based on prairie plants, a data center cooled by the northern climate, a remote operations center for a global tech firm, or an eco-tourism hub centered on the restored prairie landscape.
The third pillar is Culture & Connection. Magnetic towns invest in high-quality, idiosyncratic cultural amenities: a renowned community theatre, an excellent independent bookstore, a brewery with a philosophy, or a public sauna. They foster dense social networks and a culture of welcome that helps newcomers integrate quickly. Our Narrative Futures Lab works directly with towns to craft and amplify their unique story. The final pillar is Stewardship as Vocation. This ties directly to the Institute's ecological work. We promote the idea that future prairie towns can be centers of expertise for the regeneration economy: carbon farm managers, wetland restorers, bison herd veterinarians, renewable energy technicians, and sustainability consultants. By linking repopulation to the larger project of healing the land, we provide a powerful sense of purpose. The Institute runs a 'Prairie Pioneer' fellowship, placing skilled individuals and families in pilot communities for two-year residencies with support networks, to test and demonstrate this model.
Prototyping the Future Town
Rather than just publishing reports, the Rural Re-Population project is deeply interventionist. We have selected three 'prototype towns' across the region with which we have deep, multi-year partnerships. In each, we act as a catalyst and facilitator, helping to broker partnerships, secure grant funding, and provide technical expertise. In one town, we helped convert a vacant school into a mixed-use community hub with coworking space, a maker lab, and affordable apartments. In another, we facilitated the creation of a community-owned fiber optic network. In all three, we host annual 'Future Fest' gatherings that bring together residents, futurists, investors, and potential newcomers to brainstorm and build projects. We track a wide array of metrics beyond raw population: business startups, volunteer hours, civic participation among young adults, and perceived quality of life. The goal is to create proof-of-concept communities that serve as beacons, demonstrating that a different rural future is possible—one defined not by scarcity and decline, but by innovation, resilience, and a deep, meaningful connection to a restored landscape. This work is a long game, requiring patience and humility, but it is essential. A thriving prairie future needs people to care for it, and they need great places to live.