Projected trends for the agurbs® in 2006
from Boomtown Institute

1. Entrepreneurs— You can’t have enough of them. The number of entrepreneurs in the U.S. will continue to rise.  The impact entrepreneurs have in the agurbs® will continue to increase, growing jobs and contributing to community lifestyles.

2. Arts & Culture— Communities focused on becoming magnets for artists and working to develop artisan cultures are creating a niche that will not only attract more artisans, but tourists and residents.

3. Downtowns— Communities need a vibrant area, where a person can live and work, with amenities, social outlets and culture.  The downtowns will continue their come back from the run-down, abandoned regions they have been in the past few decades.

4. Recreational Land— Land that is suited to sport and relaxation is becoming more valuable than rich agricultural land in many areas. The first baby boomer turned 60 January 1, 2006.  This massive wave of retirees is looking for spaces to spend their golden years.

5. Brain Banks— Communities and regions are recognizing and reaching out to their brain banks. Local alumni will become a better known and utilized resource in 2006, with many communities working to entice them to move back and benefit the community with their skills.

6. Regionalism— Progressive communities are realizing that artificial borders set by surveyors in the 19th Century are not how people are running businesses or deciding on where to live. A regional focus on job creation and retention will continue to be pivotal to many agurbs®. Competition will have to subside and communities will have to leave behind their silo mentalities.

7. Clusters— As globalization becomes stronger, the advantages of agglomeration economies (i.e. clusters) become more profound.  Clusters equal synergies, synergy equal increased efficiencies, efficiency equals competitiveness. 

8. Community Foundations— The transfer of wealth that will take place in the next decade is unprecedented. Capturing merely 2% to 5% of that transfer will enable community transformations.

9. Internet— This medium is finally having the impact that was predicted of it in the late 1990s. Communities with high speed connectivity will be able to grow their community and businesses by providing new markets.  A recent study showed that 750,000 Americans are making their livings on eBay, an industry that didn’t even exist a decade ago. 

10. Homesourcing— With broadband availability in rural America, work, not just workers, are mobile. Increasingly, companies are setting up call centers and outsourcing work to rural areas, even households.