Economic Stagnation
Few ways to build local wealth; dependence on declining or extractive industries.
Context
Traditional rural industries decline while new economic opportunities don't emerge. Wealth flows out to distant corporations and urban centers, leaving communities poorer.
How It Shows Up
- Declining wages and incomes compared to urban areas
- Loss of local businesses to chain stores or closures
- Young people forced to leave for economic opportunity
- Tax base erosion affecting public services
- Dependence on boom-bust extractive industries
Patterns That Address This
- Regenerative Micro-Enterprise
- Creative Workyards
- Culture-as-Economy
- Main Street Reawakening