David Ivan is a passionate guy. A researcher and program manager at Michigan State University’s createwv.typepad.com Extension Office, he spends a great deal of time talking to people in small towns like many of those in West Virginia.

createwv.typepad.com

What’s his purpose? To identify those rural, small town communities that are bucking the trend and thriving. He’s looking for turnaround stories, and he is documenting the best practices they have used to come alive in the 21st century new economy.

Dave visited West Virginia in February during Entrepreneurship Week as the special guest of Vision Shared, the Charleston Area Alliance and Mythology. He met with the WV Commerce Department’s Development Office, with a few West Virginia legislators, spoke to a crowd of over 75 people at the Alliance’s Think Tank event, and then delivered a nationwide webcast live from the WV State Capitol. Not a bad visit.

So what are the best practices that Dave has uncovered? Here are their characteristics. How many does your community follow?

• Strong engagement between citizens, community organizations and government.
• A strong “third place” factor – Places to hang out to develop friendships, discuss issues and interact with others.
• A regional approach to future opportunities – Deliberate efforts are made to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions.
• A willingness to adapt zoning regulations  for new opportunities.
• Active pursuit of cultural economic development opportunities. Cultural efforts are not overly contrived. They are authentic and are often organically-driven by creative individuals within the community.
• Cultural and growth efforts deliberately reach out to community youth.
• They have a dedicated effort to preserving heritage.
• They pay attention to and protect natural amenities.
• There is local entrepreneurial investment, and the community acts like an entrepreneur.
• They have a conviction that in the long run, you have to do it yourself (not wait for others to do it for you).

There you have it. Small cities all over the United States (and other countries) have used these core principles to turn around their population loss, create jobs, and generally develop more attractive communities that they enjoy living in.

We are working to secure Dave’s time to speak at the upcoming Create West Virginia Conference 2008 this October. Watch for more details!