fedgazette March 2007 | The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

As city dwellers seek bucolic bliss, sprawl is spreading to the countryside. Problem, or opportunity?

Do fence me in?
Rural sprawl happens when people try to grab their slice of paradise in the country. Critics view it as devastating; newcomers are just looking for a better life.
Coping strategies
Sprawl is often condemned, but most critiques hold no economic water. Still, a few are valid, and policy fixes may exist.
Wide open spaces
Incentive-based tools to protect rural land from sprawl are increasingly popular, but some doubt their effectiveness.

Intensive care for rural hospitals
Critical access program brings life, hope back to some rural hospitals. But if access is the goal, it may be overmedicating
A minimum wager
Will a rising wage floor lift all workers, or put too many in the unemployment line?
One more thing in life that's certain: Fees
Government fees are on the rise at both the state and local levels.