Revitalizing rural: A small town with big strengths looks to the future

“As we saw it, Campbellsburg was facing three key issues,” says Malik. “They were losing residents faster than they were attracting them, younger residents were not engaging with other members of the community, and Campbellsburg did not actively attract new residents or have a clear idea of why new residents were moving to town.”

Each of these issues was met with a tailored solution. To work on keeping existing residents in the city, they conducted surveys of the community to determine which elements of Campbellsburg were well-liked and which they felt needed work.

This was followed up with asset-based community development, a technique that highlights the power of existing community assets without the need of any great financial investment. “Campbellsburg is a community with immense capital—human, natural, cultural, built—at its disposal and can wield that to its significant advantage,” says Malik.

To deal with lowered community engagement, the group worked with Campbellsburg to plan several community events that would attract all residents, allow younger residents to become more involved in their community, and help new residents become part of the community. To bring new people in, the group offered the community advice on marketing its low cost of living combined with its family atmosphere.

For 180 Degrees Consulting, Malik says the project came with its challenges because it was not the nonprofit work they were familiar with, but his team learned from it. “This project came with a steep learning curve as we adapted our business mindsets to this town’s struggles.”

“Fortunately, we had the help of the Center for Rural Engagement and our client to help guide us,” says Malik. “My team would not have been able to do our job as effectively without the cooperation from our wonderful client contacts.”

Of the collaboration with 180 Degrees Consulting, Bennett said, “They were wonderful to work with. I appreciated their encouragement and ideas. You get kind of complacent in your thoughts, and sometimes you want to think, ‘Well, we can't do anything.’”

Now, Bennett and the local committee are exploring dozens of opportunities, from a sidewalk chalk art festival to small business education events to town clean-up days, all drawing from existing resources available to the community.

“It would be fantastic to see multi-generational pride and engagement in Campbellsburg,” says Malik. “Success ultimately would be a town that laughs at the fact that they ever needed revitalization.”