This newsletter from the Project for Public Spaces connects people who share a passion for public spaces to ideas and issues, news, quotes, places, and events from the placemaking movement. Last week, 25 million Americans returned to public life. As more and more governors in the US relax their stay-at-home orders and restrictions on businesses, that number will only grow, even as coronavirus cases around the country remain higher than public health experts would prefer. We are at a precarious moment as a country, where we must balance safety and recovery.

Increases in elderly populations and population declines expected in the next decade and longer will cause rural areas and small towns, especially, to lose many essential long-standing businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Retirements of elderly long-time owners, loss of young families to larger centers, and other issues will make it difficult to transition these businesses to new owners. At the same time, the businesses are critical to maintaining a high quality of life and viability of the communities.