Small and rural communities in the Midwest increasingly face a ‘hollowing’ of once-vibrant downtowns. Monmouth has a downtown that is culturally rich and retains many of its original buildings and the original Public Square. Unfortunately, vacancy in the downtown is high and many property owners are unable or unwilling to care for their properties. Monmouth is undertaking a major effort to revitalize downtown by developing an arts and cultural niche in the downtown – what the National Endowment for the Arts has called “Creative Placemaking.” |