JC Shepard.com

“Make No Small Plans.”

Howdy and welcome to JC Shepard.com. Come on in and sit a spell.

Communities, like the people who build and live in them, are born, live and die.  Some have long histories of vitality, creativity and excellence.  Others appear out of nowhere, then fade into memory.  Most of us are just busy doing our best.

Why does your community—your neighborhood, city, state, or nation—exist?  Why was it born?  Why might it die?  What can you and yours do better than anybody else in the world?

How can your place thrive?

The basic structure of this site is built around three general categories of interest in this exploration of places that thrive:

• Economy: Life, economic development, technology, geography and urban design
• Policy: Liberty, long range planning, community development, hazard mitigation
• Pursuit of Happiness: Everything else.  Architecture, arts & culture.  Roots music mostly.  You know, the important stuff.

Some of these topics may seem extraneous.  In fact, some items may appear that simply catch my eye.  However, thriving communities need a strong sense of place, with dynamic economies, thoughtful public policy and a vibrant culture.

Places that thrive take all this and make it fit their particular situation.  They are true to their roots.  They are most of us, just trying to take what we have and do our best.

I’m a planner, you see, and my plan outstretches my time.  I try to be consistent, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for.

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