Small GA airports out in the middle of nowhere can come into being, but it's rare, and the whole GA field is aging out and disappearing (both the pilots, planes, and people).
A big part of that is the regulatory environment. For example - I have the interest and means to get my PPL. I'd love to do so, but the FAA considers ADHD to be a disqualifying medical condition.
It's both expensive and not that expensive; roughly the cost "all-in" of getting a good motorcycle.
If I were to do it again I'd save up and take time off and do all the training in a month or two. Half the cash I burned was relearning the shit I forgot since the last lesson.
Yea, going the Special Issuance route is tough and lengthy, and you still cannot be currently relying on medication to manage the condition. The FAA's "mental health" requirements for flying are rooted in good intentions, but too coarse. You don't want someone suffering from schizophrenia, severe depression or bipolar mania to be flying airplanes, but on the other hand, someone who was once had mild anxiety or ADHD 30 years ago should not be disqualified. The FAA treats these cases similarly.
(Perpetual student - you can be in control of a plane but not PIC without a medical or anything, so you can literally pay an instructor to be PIC whilst you do the flybits.)
No, they can't, because the people in somewhere won't let you build an airport in the middle of nowhere without abiding by the rules they wrote for somewhere.