The town in this article is a small/medium sized town in rural central Minnesota. The majority of people in this area will live in the surrounding country side

The town in this article is a small/medium sized town in rural central Minnesota. The majority of people in this area will live in the surrounding country side and the "down town" isn't much more than a few blocks of buildings and side streets straddling a major highway. So for most people in the area, going anywhere besides a recreational walk, requires getting in a car. I don't believe this situation is unique to United States with regards to similar towns.