(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)Mebane paired the launch of its social district with new outside seating areas, trash receptacles, and signage. The social district was just one more tool to attract people, she said, and it worked. Small, rural towns credit social districts with revamping otherwise flagging downtown centers. She soon formed a nonprofit, the Central Business District Group, and started talking with locals about how to attract businesses. Lantern Sushi and Bravo’s Mexican Grill have since opened downtown, and there’s another restaurant under discussion.