Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
Small Town & Rural Comprehensive Planning: JCShepard.com’s Theme for 2026 Comprehensive planning in small towns and rural counties is not a big complicated urban process writ small. It is about neighbors deciding what kind of place they want to be in the future… and then putting that promise in writing so the next subdivision, the […]
Why does your town exist? What makes your community thrive? How is that for holiday time existential questions? Recently I revisited a recording by Minnesota Public Radio of a community meeting up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in the heart of 10,000 lakes country. Two University of Minnesota Extension educators in the Community Vitality program, Ben […]
The fields of urban and rural planning, community development, and sustainability are evolving faster than ever. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, the right planning books and sustainability books can offer fresh insights, practical tools, and long-term vision. This curated list is a mix of casual and academic reads—including new releases […]
This article continues our November series: From Ideas to Action — A Month of Praxis and Implementation in Rural Communities. In week two we turn our focus to active living and rural health: how small town leaders make choices that support movement, wellness and connection — even when budgets are tight and distances are long. Improving […]
Clean energy is driving a quiet revolution in rural America—not just through wind farms and solar panels, but through a rediscovery of local power, community resilience, and land-based innovation. Is the future of rural America to be found in our past? Author L. Michelle Moore thinks there are lessons there, especially for small towns and […]
The rural energy landscape is entering a new era—fueled by data, defined by decarbonization, and embedded in a fast-changing energy economy. For small towns and rural communities, the stakes are high. But so is the potential for resilience and prosperity. This October, JCShepard.com explores how the rapidly evolving energy economy is reshaping the future of […]
From Storytelling to Slow Craft: How Communities Build Resilience Through Authentic Rural Experiences In small towns and rural communities around the world, the most powerful stories are often the quietest ones. A grandmother teaching her grandson how to make jam from fruit grown on ancestral land. A blacksmith showing a class of fifth graders how […]
Week 2 – September 2025 | Heritage & Tourism Series Reviving rural America requires more than infrastructure or incentives—it calls for strategies rooted in identity, community, and resilience. One powerful and often underused approach is heritage-driven rural tourism development. By drawing on a community’s unique stories, traditions, and historic assets, small towns can attract visitors, […]
Week 1 – September 2025 | Heritage & Tourism Series Heritage tourism is more than a visit to a museum or a stroll through an old town—it’s an invitation to experience the authentic living story of a place. In rural communities across the world, heritage is not tucked away in exhibits. It lives in the […]
September Sneak Preview As we turn the corner into September, we’re pausing to focus on a theme that blends past, present, and future in rural places: the power of heritage tourism. In towns across America, heritage isn’t just what you find in a museum—it’s the main street brickwork, the fall festivals, the oral histories passed […]
