Retail is Rural: Redefining What Economic Growth Looks Like Outside the City
Rethinking Rural Potential When people hear the word “retail,” their minds often go straight to city centers, suburban shopping malls, or trendy urban districts. But I’ve spent years traveling Alabama’s backroads and sitting at the tables of small-town chambers, and I can tell you: retail is just as important—if not more—in rural communities. In fact, […]
The Alabama Model: How a State Can Lead in Rural Economic Transformation
A Roadmap from the Heart of the South When people think of economic powerhouses, they might picture states with booming metro centers or coastal access to international trade routes. But here in Alabama, we’re showing that economic strength doesn’t have to come from the biggest cities or the biggest budgets—it can come from the heart […]