Can Recreation Make Minot Stronger?

“A couple years ago, it would’ve been hard to find a tourist in Bentonville. Now there are people here from all over the world every weekend.” The quote is from an article on Strong Towns, and the sentiment is the result of a transformation that’s taken place over the past 10-years. The lesson worth evaluating here in Minot, public spending on recreation delivers return on investment. In Arkansas, the niche they pursued was mountain biking, and the market responded. Perhaps more remarkable, the benefits are rippling out in unexpected ways including labor-force attraction and improvements in public health.