Communities & Consequences

The Unbalancing of New Hampshire’s Human Ecology, and What We Can Do About It

By Peter Francese and Lorraine Stuart Merrill


From the Introduction


"The importance of balance and interrelationships in the natural environment is well understood. We know that a sharp decline of one species within an ecosystem can have serious, long-lasting negative consequences for all other life in the system. Each species plays an essential, although perhaps unseen or under-appreciated, role in the survival of the whole.

This same principle of ecological balance applies to the complexity of a human society. Loss or absence of members of one or another segment of a human community can have a profound impact on the health and prosperity of the whole. In New England, and particularly in our state of New Hampshire, we are starting to see that well-intentioned actions by members of small communities can have unfortunate long-term consequences for the region’s inhabitants.

This book, along with its companion documentary and Web site, is our effort to show how a relatively small segment of the human ecosystem—the state of New Hampshire—is being substantially altered in just this way, to its economic and social detriment. The most significant and potentially most harmful consequence is the high outmigration of young adults. This exodus will leave New Hampshire with slowing workforce growth, declining numbers of children—the future workforce—and a population aging at an even faster rate due to increasing numbers of older residents.

……

Fortunately, the unbalancing of New Hampshire’s human ecology is happening slowly enough that it can be changed. If people act soon, working together in towns and cities over the next few years, we can avert a very undesirable future.

Our purpose is to raise awareness of the negative outcomes of basing local residential development decisions primarily on one issue— school costs—instead of on the full range of social, economic, and environmental needs and concerns of balanced, vibrant communities.

The other five New England states are experiencing many of the same issues related to local autonomy and the out-migration of young people that we will examine here in New Hampshire, where we live. But New Hampshire towns and cities are under greater pressure because they pay a significantly larger proportion of the costs for public education and other local government functions than do municipalities in other states.

This book explains the changing demography of New Hampshire, its causes and its consequences. Throughout the book and companion documentary are stories of New Hampshire residents of all ages who are struggling with these issues. We also find some answers to how people can start in their own communities to turn this tide. Many of the changes that can help solve our human ecology problems are also good for the environment and for the social fabric of our towns and city neighborhoods.

Our goal is to foster a statewide conversation that will result in greater understanding and motivation to change—to restore generational balance and social capital. If people read this book but fail to take any action to be more welcoming to younger residents, the consequences for our communities and our state will be bleak indeed."



Table of Contents

Introduction: The Importance of Balance . . xi

Chapter 1 How Did We Get So Gray? . . 1
New Hampshire’s residents have aged, due partly to out-migration of young people and in-migration of retirees.

Chapter 2 Local Concerns vs. Regional Needs . . 16
The central problem of all New England states: many costs are borne by local property tax payers, but often the benefits accrue statewide. The same is true of planning and zoning decisions.

Chapter 3 Thumb on the Scale . . 33
Forces that are driving young people away from the state but welcoming older residents are unbalancing the normal generational mix.

Chapter 4 Consequences for Health Care and Higher Education . . 45
Unfolding demographic trends promise rough ride ahead for these major institutions and employers.

Chapter 5 Bitter Fruits: Workforce, Public Education, and Political Consequences . . 57
Workforce growth is the cornerstone of economic vitality, and it’s projected to slow to a crawl. Blame the lack of workforce housing in areas where the jobs are.

Chapter 6 Ways to Turn the Tide . . 67
Smart Growth and other innovative solutions can achieve greater balance without causing economic or environmental harm.

Chapter 7 A Different Future . . 84
Restoring intergenerational balance increases everyone’s stake in the community.

Toolbox Appendix . . 97
Strategies for creating greater housing choice and opportunity

Index . . 107



Book Orders:

To purchase a copy of "Communities & Consequences: The Unbalancing of New Hampshire’s Human Ecology, & What We Can Do About It" please email Peter Francese at peter@francese.com.