[satyrnein]

You need schools, pediatricians, daycare, other kids, etc. Cities (and suburbs) have those, not sure about every rural area. Certainly not the village in the article.

[xen0]

An unfortunate reality is that you're never going to have such services until there are children for them to service.

Decline like this is difficult to reverse, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

[amanaplanacanal]

I doubt it would make much of a difference. Children growing up in rural communities typically move to a bigger city as soon as they can, which is where they then find mates and start their own families. I suspect not many young people are going to give up the social opportunities to stay in a small town or move back there.