How many people really want to live in a small town when they can afford to live in a larger one? I have within walking distance of several schools, all the stores I need (including a Walmart), people from a wide range of backgrounds, and so on. Within 5 minutes from my home, I have top-notch restaurants, culture and so on. I can also live without a car!

Even if towns were exciting, what about being eco-friendly? The burden of having to go *everywhere* by car is not only one of the main cause for global warming (yes, small towns are bad for Earth), but it is also provably unhealthy (walking makes you fit).

Why are small towns boring? Consider people who are unmarried, gay, from another country, have an accent, dress in an original fashion, and so on. Not welcomed in a small town because, by definition, people prefer small towns because you do not have such "people" there. So, you do away with anyone who does not fit the mold. You do away with anyone who is a bit innovative. You do away with "fun".

People say "small towns are better to raise a family". Oh yeah? Few teenagers prefer small towns. Almost all teenagers want to do cool stuff, and this often happens to happen in a metropolis. So, it is really only better for the parents, not the kids.

You will have first to meet the following challenges:

*) build car-less small towns... as long as you depend on the automobile for your very existence, you are a threat to health and the Earth

*) change drastically the small-town culture... it is not enough to be friendly to foreigners or strange people, you must not consider them to be foreigners or strange people in the first place...

*) travel to a surrounding cities should not cost you $1500 in airfare, if so, your kids will feel trapped and they will seek to escape... you need something like a cheap and cool train service...