9 Great Places You’ve Never Heard Of, 2008 Edition

August/September 2008

Our third annual list of top towns that demonstrate civic energy and sustainability in action.

By David Wann

A great town or city is like a bowl of savory minestrone soup, served at a fine, family-owned restaurant. Though it may be difficult to identify the exact ingredients, the bottom line is flavor: Remarkable communities combine classic elements such as climate, architecture, natural assets and civic energy in a way that makes places healthy, safe and lively. By investing in the local economy, communities build self-reliance to handle sudden challenges such as surging energy prices or natural disasters.

The under-the-radar towns on the third Mother Earth News Great Places list blend qualities like these into rich, energetic cultures. We invite you to get to know these great places with us, and apply some of their innovative approaches and lessons-learned in your own towns and cities.