Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
The Problem With the Pattern We’ve Built Rural sprawl does not look like urban sprawl, but it produces many of the same outcomes: longer distances between people and services, higher per-capita infrastructure costs, degraded natural lands, and built environments that make daily life harder for anyone who cannot drive. The pattern is familiar across rural […]
APRIL SERIES: COMMUNITY FACILITIES – Article 1 Community facilities are where self-government becomes visible. Courthouses, city halls, jails, libraries, and clinics are the places where decisions get made, services get delivered, and neighbors encounter “government” as something more than a line item on a tax bill. In many ways, these spaces form the backbone of […]
Over the coming weeks, this series will explore a question that sits at the center of rural planning today: what does it take for small towns and rural counties not just to survive, but to build community facilities to help them remain functional, resilient, and economically relevant in a rapidly changing landscape? A Rural Planning […]
This article launches our November series: From Ideas to Action—A Month of Praxis and Implementation in Rural Communities. Over the next five weeks, we’ll explore how small towns drive rural progress by combining local knowledge with practical implementation strategies. We’re starting with the basics: What is praxis in rural planning, and why does it matter? […]
The Strategic Power of Shared Policy in Rural Development In today’s complex and rapidly shifting rural landscape, communities face both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities—from population shifts and workforce shortages to broadband expansion and climate resilience. Amid these dynamics, rural leaders are increasingly recognizing that they don’t have to navigate this terrain alone. Policy exchange […]
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
Jane Jacobs
Discover how Rural America is evolving by balancing tradition and modernization. Explore the impact of technology, infrastructure, and cultural preservation on small towns across the U.S.
