In Practice

Rural Planning Examples

Real-world examples of rural development and small town planning from communities across North America. Discover practical lessons, successful strategies, and community-driven ideas that local leaders can apply in their own towns.

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Case Study 1 · Indiana County, Pennsylvania

Indiana County, Pennsylvania: Embedding Walkability into Rural Comprehensive Planning

Western Pennsylvania · Rural county and small city communities
Legislation Comprehensive Plan; Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Plan; Open Space & Greenways Plan; Subdivision & Land Development Ordinance Amendments
Core Theme Translating adopted comprehensive planning goals into enforceable development and subdivision standards
Core Challenge Aligning rural development regulations with public health, walkability, and active transportation goals
3 aligned county planning documents
82K county population
Countywide walkability implementation approach
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Case Study 2 · Klickitat County, Washington (USA)

Klickitat County, Washington — Building Health Infrastructure from the Ground Up

Klickitat County, Columbia River Gorge, Rural Washington State
Legislation ACHIEVE model implementation; National Park Service planning grant support
Core Theme Coordinating public health agencies, nonprofits, employers, and community organizations to build low-cost health infrastructure in a sparsely populated rural county
Core Challenge Rural residents faced limited access to walkable infrastructure, low-cost physical activity opportunities, and preventative public health resources.
3 community gardens established
ADA-accessible trail infrastructure improvements completed
2 major employers adopting wellness programs
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Case Study 3 · Centreville, Alabama (USA)

When the Hospital Becomes the Classroom: Bibb Medical Center and Shelton State, Alabama

Centreville, Bibb County, West Alabama
Legislation Alabama Student Nurse Apprenticeship; Alabama Board of Nursing pre-licensure apprenticeship rules
Core Theme Aligning a rural hospital, community college, state apprenticeship system, and local workforce needs into one training pipeline
Core Challenge A rural hospital in a high-poverty county needed to solve persistent nursing shortages by growing its own local workforce.
14 first cohort graduates in August 2024
61 healthcare employers participating statewide by 2024
600 nearly active nursing apprentices across Alabama
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Case Study 4 · Cloquet, Minnesota (USA)

Cloquet Carlton Lofts Rural Planning Example: Turning a Vacant School into Workforce Housing

Cloquet, Carlton County, Northern Minnesota
Legislation Federal Historic Tax Credit (20%); Minnesota State Historic Tax Credit; Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Tax Credits
Core Theme Aligning school district, city, developer, and financing partners to repurpose public infrastructure into workforce housing
Core Challenge Vacant historic school building combined with a shortage of affordable workforce housing in a small town facing regional “urban pull.”
57 units mixed-income apartments created
$700–$1,075 monthly rent range for workforce households
2019–2020 project completion timeline
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Case Study 5 · Vermont, USA

Vermont’s School Closure Crisis: The Governance Gap in Rural America

Roxbury, Calais, Westford, Peacham, Southern Vermont
Legislation Act 46 (2015) · Act 73 (2024)
Core Theme State consolidation mandates vs. local community resistance
Core Challenge Accelerating school closures driven by declining enrollment, rising costs, and state-level consolidation pressure
−20% K–12 enrollment decline over two decades
$27K per-pupil spending per year
11:1 lowest student-teacher ratio nationally
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