Review of Our Towns

Good Bones

James and Deborah Fallows report that across the United States, successful cities are using their existing resources to spur economic growth. Eastport, Maine, for example, has the deepest harbor on the Eastern seaboard. Melting arctic ice means it may one day offer the quickest sea route to China, Japan and Korea. The tidal currents in the Bay of Fundy made Eastport an ideal location for the Ocean Renewable Power Company to test its generation of hydrokinetic electricity, which supplies Maine’s power grid.  

The Fallows provide historical context by drawing a line from the public investments of a previous age to today’s new opportunities and progress. Citibank found the World War II-era military infrastructure of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, attractive in the 1990s. Sioux Falls offers lower operating costs than other, more dense areas. Residents love its “big small town” feel.