The rise of 'zoom towns' in the rural west:
When COVID-19 hit the United States, small towns near ski areas such as Park City, Utah, and Sun Valley, Idaho, experienced some of the highest per capita cases; people from around the world had brought the virus along with their skis. As the coronavirus spread, gateway communities—communities near scenic public lands, national parks, and other outdoor recreational amenities—felt acute economic pressure as the virus forced them to shut down tourist activities.
Now, many gateway communities are facing an entirely new problem: a flood of remote workers fleeing big cities to ride out the pandemic, perhaps permanently. Like oil discovery led to western boomtowns, the pandemic has led to the rise of "Zoom Towns"—and with this so-called amenity migration comes a variety of challenges.
"This trend was already happening, but amenity migration into these communities has been expedited and it can have destructive consequences if not planned for and managed. Many of these places are, as some people say, at risk of being loved to death," said Danya Rumore, director of the Environmental Dispute Resolution Program and research assistant professor in the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah.
Rumore, who is from the gateway community of Sandpoint, Idaho, leads a team of researchers at University of Utah and University of Arizona who study planning and development challenges in western gateway communities. In a new paper in the Journal of the American Planning Association, the team published the results of a 2018 study involving a survey with public officials in more than 1200 western gateway communities and in-depth interviews with officials from 25 communities. In an eerie foreshadowing, a town manager from a developed gateway community said, "We don't have the staff capacity to deal with major crises."
Journal Reference:
Philip Stoker, Danya Rumore , Lindsey Romaniello, Zacharia Levine.Planning and Development Challenges in Western Gateway Communities, Journal of the American Planning Association (DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2020.1791728)
(Score: 1, Troll) by bmimatt on Friday October 16 2020, @06:04PM
Apparently all these people weren't living where they wanted to live in the first place. The virus gave them the gift of freedom of movement.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 16 2020, @06:16PM (27 children)
The article posted a map of what it considers "gateway communities." It's preposterous. Circle, MT, Ekalaka, MT, or Hulett, WY, are not gateway communities to anywhere. They are literally in the middle of nowhere, and they have not changed in generations. There is no flood of "remote workers," because the connectivity in those places sucks. This is a concern trolling effort by an academic who wants funding for her next "study."
How do we know this? Because if she was really talking about "zoom towns" and the problems such a thing creates, she'd also be talking about the phenomenon in Ishpeming, MI, or Grand Rapids, MN, or a plethora of other places further out from the main East-West Interstates (except, of course, that those places are not experiencing "zoom town" consequences either). But that's outside her personal academic scope of the West.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 5, Informative) by IndigoFreak on Friday October 16 2020, @06:21PM (12 children)
The paper was also published in 2018(or at least the data is from that year). So this is just attention grabbing. Slapping a new name on an old paper.
I like how it says there are housing problems. How? How can someone move to a town that doesn't have housing? That was my first thought anyway. Either these people are moving to pre-existing housing, or they are building brand new houses in places that didn't have them? Really? There's that many people that can afford and want to build a new house after having their job go remote? I doubt it. So that then means that these cities are set up in such a terrible fashion that if all the available housing is used, the city can no longer function. Sounds like a problem that started way before people moved there this year...
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday October 16 2020, @06:36PM
In California's case, yes, Jews and Mexicans pretty much ruined the state.
You can tell at a glance when an organization of any size is Jew-run: Jews are at the top and Mexicans do everything else for slave-like wages, and there is no concept of "middle class" or "middle-management" who weren't just the most obedient underpaid Mexicans getting 2 extra bucks an hour to be called "manager." You can see this at the statewide level, the local level (San Francisco and L.A. are good examples) or at the micro level in many local factories. Jews are running organized caste systems while telling their underpaid that White Supremacist Goys are the cause of all of their problems. The only thing that changes besides Jews being on top is that the underpaid but obedient lower caste system is occasionally Indian rather than Hispanic.
I propose we create an autonomous Jewish oblast in New York City, then ship all Jews there after deporting all Mexicans and Indians. Then seal off New York city with the exception of one-way flights to Tel Aviv.
As for your "we need more housing" comment, no we fucking don't. California is always having water shortages and can't even keep the lights on during summertime, there are third-world countries more civilized than we are. We don't need to turn the whole state into San Francisco just because a few more Jews got tired of living in Brooklyn and want to keep shitting up our state with growth.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 16 2020, @06:40PM
That's a good catch. Yeah, I think you're right.
There have been local housing shortages sort of in that area, due to oil extraction in the Bakken Formation, or in SW Wyoming or Western Colorado because of fracking operations. But the construction of new housing has caught up with demand now. Williston, ND, or Minot, ND, for example, are unrecognizable from what they were 20 years ago. Those are special cases, though, and driven by boomtown economics. Very few of those are the "gateway communities" that the study talks about.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 16 2020, @07:58PM (8 children)
I'll echo Phoenix666 - nice catch. I'll admit here that I often submit stories which I've only skimmed. Cool title + a couple paragraphs that might generate discussion = potential sub. So I missed the age of the data entirely, and believed that the story was a "current event".
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @08:19PM (7 children)
Or did not read at all? Or experienced a major reading comprehension failure? Of was just knee-jerk "sticking it to libs" because of some mis-interpreted dog-whistle? Interesting world of delusion that the Runaway dwells in.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 16 2020, @08:46PM (6 children)
Even more interesting that an AC is too obsessed with Runaway to make contributions of his/her own. This might indicate that AC isn't literate enough to peruse his/her own news feeds to make submissions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @08:50PM (5 children)
You presume too much, Runaway! Way too much. Trump is going down.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @09:11PM (2 children)
Your tears will taste so sweet when he wins again.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @09:27PM
Biden looks like a shoo-in.
Biden is an elderly, racist, sexist, pussy-grabbing white male. The Trump advantage is GONE.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 17 2020, @12:09AM
Tears of joy, when the House Seargent-at-Arms tear-gasses Trump out of the White House, having had to take out several aides and the AG in the process, and trundle him into a waiting paddy wagon! National day of celebration, and an end to our long national nightmare.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 16 2020, @09:21PM (1 child)
That may, or may not be. I just hope the two of you get a room so that we aren't all subjected to the images.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 17 2020, @12:25AM
Runaway, he may not be too bright, but he's our not too bright. Trouble with dates. Not properly levered. Looking into the Oranges. Covfefe. Early onset.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Reziac on Saturday October 17 2020, @02:34AM
Also, outside of the resort towns (which are what's named in the article) most little western towns have been shrinking, and some are literally begging for new residents to bring in a few new dollars. I just checked the housing market in a smaller town (20k or so) a friend is moving to in Kansas, and there were dozens of nice houses on the market for around $100k, and quite a few for less. My friend is looking at what's basically a mansion for $180k. Does this sound like an overly tight market to, well, anyone??
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Friday October 16 2020, @07:22PM (13 children)
Unless you're telecommuting with aliens!
Devil's Tower National Monument [nps.gov]
(but that's kind of the point, they're gateways to pretty outside stuff)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @08:21PM (11 children)
If I recall corrrectly, Ekalaka was established by a entrepreneur with a wagon full of whiskey, who upon reaching the future site of Ekalaka, declared, "Any place is Montana is a good place for a bar." And thus greatness ensued!
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday October 17 2020, @01:14AM (10 children)
I have great affection for the small hamlets of the West, but FFS if Broadus, MT is not remote enough for you, then you cannot be helped.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday October 17 2020, @02:38AM (9 children)
Way too metro... from Broadus you can conveniently drive to Billings. I suggest somewhere more remote, like, say, Scobey or Malta.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Saturday October 17 2020, @09:01AM (2 children)
Even Malta is pretty metropolitan, at least get the ferry across to Gozo, or if you really want to get away from it all, Comino.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday October 17 2020, @02:22PM (1 child)
Now there's the problem with repeating names... you might wind up in the wrong Malta entirely. :)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 18 2020, @07:59PM
Or the wrong Le Havre? Or the wrong Nashua? Or the wrong Zurich? The wrong Chester? Or worse, the wrong Kremlin. It's the High Line, home of the Empire Builder on the Great Northern Railway, where every siding got the name of some immigrant's hometown. Immigrants get 'er done.
But it would be the correct Cut Bank, Chinook, or Wolf Point. Indigenous, already had it done.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday October 18 2020, @06:46PM (5 children)
Malta's on the highline, so if Broadus doesn't count then that can't either. Plentywood?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday October 18 2020, @07:04PM (4 children)
LOL, first thing I typed was Plentywood, but then decided it was too close to Williston. :D
Maybe Comertown...
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday October 19 2020, @11:57AM (3 children)
I was going to counter with Roy or Lavina, but I think you nailed it with Comertown.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday October 19 2020, @01:53PM (2 children)
Comertown would be perfect. No paved access, and better yet, no population. ;)
In fact I only know it exists because a distant ancestor had mysteriously migrated there and, uh, remains there to this day.
Greets from Laurel :)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday October 19 2020, @05:03PM (1 child)
Laurel? Bah! You're practically a city slicker, that close to Billings. :-) This whole time I thought you were up by Scobey or Malta...
I heard it started snowing a couple days ago in the Judiths, so if you're seeing the same I hope you're enjoying the first dusting in God's Country.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday October 19 2020, @09:15PM
I know, it's embarrassing. I'm across the river so can pretend to be rural, but considering how many years I lived a day's hike from anything, it's just weird to consider that in a pinch, I could walk to Walmart. :O
Yeah, we got a shitload of global warming dumped on us, a whole month early. Had to break out the long underwear and pick all the green tomatoes.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Saturday October 17 2020, @01:07AM
Yes, there was the movie. But my grandfather was born there, and I have been back there regularly all my life. It's a beautiful area. It sits outside the liminal threshhold of the American mind. But it has not changed in 40 years.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday October 16 2020, @06:19PM (6 children)
Too many people are locking themselves into Zoom. Aren't there better alternatives?
I am interested to see how the infrastructure evolves. More money for Amazon I suppose
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @07:27PM (1 child)
Yes, putting clothes on and meeting in person.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 17 2020, @06:47AM
Nothing wrong with drop all clothes and meet in person either.
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Saturday October 17 2020, @01:04AM (2 children)
Since nobody has a static IP, how does one setup a connection without a corporate middle man? Otherwise, sending a video stream over a network seems trivial. If you actually need to see someone's talking head at all that is.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday October 17 2020, @06:48AM
Buy or rent one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 17 2020, @06:02PM
UDP NAT traversal still works pretty reliably unless you are behind CGN used by cell carriers.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 17 2020, @01:14AM
US Army not allowed to use Zoom, China-something concerns. A series of Zoom calls had to switch to Cisco WebEx when the audience was extended to Army-employed engineers.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Friday October 16 2020, @08:44PM (3 children)
In what can only be called serendipity: we moved to a remote mountain town last Winter. I kept an apartment in the city, intending to stay there during the week.
So,with Corona and home-office, I get to spend most of my time in the mountains, which is absolutely great.
Anyway, to TFA: there are no problems. Towns like this are ecstatic to have new residents (taxpayers) as opposed to people with a vacation home that is unoccupied most of the year. There is plenty of housing, or you build. Small towns have been slowly dying, as the younger generation left for the big city. The current crisis may save them.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday October 16 2020, @09:13PM (1 child)
As a bonus, maybe you can go on Google Fiber's site and put your address in. They've done crazier things [loon.com] in the name of extending network connectivity.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday October 17 2020, @02:25PM
[looks at link, scrolls down]
No shit. Apparently they deliver solar panels via giant flying jellyfish.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Friday October 16 2020, @10:11PM
For now. The beginning is always promising. Is the midgame and the end that matters.
If you can work from home, so will be the Indians, at 1/5 your salary. No H1B visas required anymore, Musk is working to make them obsolete. Sure, the mortgage for your country home may be lower, but try to pay it without the job that made you buy the house in the first place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday October 16 2020, @09:22PM (3 children)
Forbes has recommendations [forbes.com]
Netcraft... errr... Hackernews confirms [ycombinator.com]
Builders and realtors discuss it [builderonline.com]
Youtubers youtube on it [youtube.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 16 2020, @09:25PM (1 child)
I recommend Starwink.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday October 16 2020, @09:40PM
More like starblink [soylentnews.org] - not only fucking annoys the astronomers, but delivers sub-100ms "winks".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday October 19 2020, @02:00PM
[reads first link]
[blinks]
Butte?? first time I've ever seen Butte on anyone's short list. Methinks the author of the Forbes article has never been there. Especially since they used a photo from 200 miles away.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.