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SALT LAKE CITY — In the movie "Cars," race car Lightning McQueen befriends several older cars in the one- time popular stopover town of Radiator Springs along U.S. Highway 66. The construction of Interstate 40 bypassing the town had effectively erased the sleepy hamlet from the map to tourists and forcing most of the area businesses to close their doors.
With a sense of optimism, determination and some creativity, McQueen helps the town's cars to reinvigorate their once-proud village.
It's a scenario that many small towns in the Beehive State would love to replicate and one national analyst believes they can.
Speaking Thursday at the Utah League of Cities and Towns annual conference here, Dave Ivan, community and economic development specialist at Michigan State University offered answers to the question, "How can small cities be cool and compete in the global economy?"
(Small communities) are focused on entrepreneurship. If (small towns) can innovate, then they can be successful.
–Dave Ivan
"(Small communities) are focused on entrepreneurship," he said. "If (small towns) can innovate, then they can be successful."
He said small towns should develop networks that share information to make it easier for new businesses to get off the ground and potentially prosper. Using the example of Fairfield, Iowa, Ivan said that community set up a network that had existing entrepreneurs reaching out to new business owners to offer their help and advice.
"(It was) all free, the only thing they asked was that if you were successful, you'll share your information with others," he said.
Ivan said his research was gathered from a survey of 80 small communities in 22 states around the country, looking into what strategies were employed and which tactics were most productive in adding vitality to those cities. The research was funded by the Kellogg Foundation.
Ivan said another significant strategy was to "elevate education" by getting business owners and local residents to become "lifelong learners." He said that by educating the local workforce, companies would be more willing to consider investing in that town.
The third idea the research uncovered was "strong social capital," that developed "thick bonds" between neighboring villages and businesses that worked for the mutual benefit of all.
The fourth positive attribute observed was a "strong sense of place," he said.
If (these small towns) can create positive memories for these youth growing up, then they are more likely to come back to that community at some time in the future.
–Ivan
"This is where this whole 'coolness' factor comes in," Ivan explained. "If we can develop communities where young professionals feel connected to other young professionals — even in a small town setting — then we're exponentially more likely to keep those young professionals rooted in that community."
He said reaching out to the homegrown youth was also a key factor in sustaining the vitality of small towns. Getting young people to return and share what they have learned could be a cornerstone to success in a small town's long-term growth strategy.
"If (these small towns) can create positive memories for these youth growing up, then they are more likely to come back to that community at some time in the future," Ivan said.
Lastly, he said the research uncovered a commitment to "regionalism."
"If we can work with our communities (in our area), then we can do a better job using our collective assets to be more competitive (in the global marketplace)," he said.
In other words, just as Lightning McQueen was able to get all his old car allies to join in the effort to bring back Radiator Springs, the same could be accomplished in places like Milford, Kanab or Price.
Email: jlee@ksl.com
