While some places in the American heartland cannot be rescued, those that can need help from business, government, and nonprofits, writes Noah Smith for Bloomberg.

This process is explored in a new book by veteran journalist James Fallows and writer Deborah Fallows entitled Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America.

In addition to being on a quest to rediscover the heart of civic cooperation and democracy in American small towns, the book offers insight into how the nation’s cities can recover after blows such as the Great Recession and the China trade shock.

The married couple visited several small towns and rural areas during their travels, but most of their targets were medium-sized cities like Allentown.

In the towns now on the mend, the authors noticed some common themes such as universities and immigration. Universities help create a skilled workforce, while immigrants support a region’s declining tax base.

The pair also identified the importance of local leaders who bring people together to revitalize the area. Their conclusion is that the most successful cities are those where government, private sector, and nonprofits work together toward a common goal.

Read more about the book at Bloomberg by clicking here.

amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “vistatoday-20”;
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “manual”;
amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”;
amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”;
amzn_assoc_region = “US”;
amzn_assoc_design = “enhanced_links”;
amzn_assoc_asins = “1101871849”;
amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit”;
amzn_assoc_linkid = “d7f6d54c871482bd6a8269c8a975b505”;