Vermont Town Turns to College in Bid to Guide Change | New York Times

STARKSBORO, Vt. — Old-timers in this hill town remember when a car driving through at night would draw residents to their windows. Now headlights routinely gleam on the narrow roads well past dark, as people who commute to jobs in Burlington and Montpelier come home to a place where the prospect of change looms larger each year.
 
Like other New England towns rich in history and tradition, Starksboro, 20 miles south of Burlington and population 1,900, is eager to preserve its uniqueness in the face of growth. But hoping to head off the conflict that often stymies planning, this fall it tried a new approach.

Starksboro asked students from nearby Middlebury College to spend the semester interviewing its residents to document what they value most about the place. It intends to use their thoughts to influence decisions about its future.

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