Micropolitan Areas

[Rural King]

A few days ago I read an article in the Nashville Tennessean about micropolitan areas within the state and the changing roles these non-metro urban areas play in their regions. The article also dealt with the effect that micropolitan areas are having on what is defined as rural, since these are not metro areas, not rural, but play an increasing large role in rural areas as regional urban centers.

So the question posed is this: How do you view micropolitan areas in your state/region in regards to their urbanization trends and how are they affecting your state's rural areas.

For those who are interested in reading the article that sparked the question:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...20372/1022/NEWS

[urbanvb]

It sounds to me more like towns where the effects of sprawl are reaching out to. I had just posted something about this in the Virginia Forum. Franklin, VA, a town 60 miles west of Virginia Beach, seems to be on the cusp of rapid growth whereas it had been largely rural and small for many years. Neighboring Suffolk, VA (which to me has always been considered rural) is in the midst of a boom but now Franklin seems to be next. The town has probably 7k people but now has requests to build 300 townhomes. The town doesn't even had a planner so now everything is on hold until a plan for growth is in place. I think over time we will see more and more the effects of sprawl as folks try to move away further away from the congestion and problems of big cities yet close enough to drive there for employment. Suddenly, small towns can lose their quaintness or charm unless steps are taken to preserve what they have for future generations.