ADVANTAGES OF SMALL CITIES

Garbar argues there are good reasons why people are moving less. "This is not as easy as it sounds: Yale law professor, David Schleicher, has laid out three issues that have contributed to Americans’ declining geographic mobility: zoning restrictions that raise housing prices in coastal cities, occupational licensing requirements that make it hard for professionals to cross state lines, and welfare benefits that are difficult to take from place to place," Garbar writes.

hat's more, these cities effort distinct advantages. "They’re small enough for regular people to participate in politics and make a mark on civic life; small enough for responsive, local ownership over institutions and infrastructure like banks, broadband, retail, and food production; small enough for short commutes and easy access to nature," Garbar argues.