Rural Areas

Boston Seaport

Op-Ed: Cities Still Subsidize Everyone Else

Donald Trump rode waves of anti-urban sentiment to the White House. But is some city smugness forgivable if urban economies subsidize rural places?

April 26, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Faced With Declining Population, Japanese Village Is Repopulated By Scarecrows

The population of Nagoro, Japan has declined in recent years from 300 to just 30 people. Local artist Tsukimi Ayano has populated the village with scarecrows to replace some of the familiar community figures who are now gone.

August 28, 2016 - NPR

Shanghai China

China's Urbanization Boom May Be Slowing

After a period of modernization and urban growth unrivaled in human history, several forces promise a slump, or at least a slowing. Maybe it's time to improve existing cities, not keep building new ones.

August 2, 2016 - Bloomberg

Bhaji Bazaar

Op-Ed: Habitat III Should Consider Food Systems

The UN's Habitat III conference will be held in October of this year. Thomas Forster argues that urban areas are being considered in isolation, without enough attention to rural areas and food systems.

April 29, 2016 - Citiscope

The Important Role of Rural Transit

A recent report details how residents of rural areas in Minnesota use transit.

March 14, 2016 - MinnPost

New Ruralism: Sustainability Matters in Rural New England

New Ruralism is about rural communities finding new and sustainable approaches to create economic opportunities, provide livable-wage jobs, improve access to local foods, and offer better aging-in-place options.

December 3, 2015 - Maine Association of Planners Front Page

Jobs Up in Rural Areas

With unemployment numbers falling, jobs are on the rise in some rural parts of the country.

July 14, 2011 - The Daily Yonder

The Disproportionate Influence of Cities in Countries Around World

At a recent conference on world cities, attendees from all over the world shared the impression that their cities do not receive enough respect from their national governments.

June 14, 2011 - Grist

Rural Development Attempts Alternative to Suburban Sprawl

In rural Georgia, a New Urbanist style development is slowly materializing, andhoping to be a sustainable antidote to urban sprawl.

June 10, 2011 - Architectural Record

Mogadishu Goes Tennessee

The Tennessee town of Shelbyville has become a new center for Somalian refugees. A new documentary looks at what the influx of this group has meant to the city and its people.

May 25, 2011 - Miller-McCune

Population Plummets in Rural Germany

Rural areas in Germany are seeing major declines in population. Some worry that these declining villages and towns are being left by the wayside as the nation heads towards urban centers.

May 15, 2011 - Der Spiegel

A Debate Over 'Fully Contained Communities'

Rural Kitsap County, Washington, has been debating over a policy change that would allow new communities to spring up in the area.

March 25, 2011 - Kitsap Sun

Smog Invades the Cowboy State

Unhealthy, smog-filled air has struck an unsuspecting locale: rural Wyoming.

March 12, 2011 - USA Today

Abandonment and Opportunity in Rural Areas

As the world's population urbanizes, rural areas are being abandoned. But they don't have to sit empty and unused, according to this piece from GOOD.

January 18, 2011 - Good

Rural States See Housing Rebound

While the recession has affected the housing market across the country, the few state that are showing signs of recovery are mostly rural.

January 2, 2011 - USA Today

Rural Poverty Rising

Poverty is high and rising in rural areas across America. But there are also significant differences in the extent of that poverty, depending on the region.

December 28, 2010 - The Daily Yonder

Rural America Gets Even Sparser

Populations have declined in the majority of rural areas in the U.S., according to recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

December 19, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Jobs on the Rise in Rural America

More than two-thirds of rural areas in the United States have seen growth in jobs since 2009, according to this article from The Daily Yonder.

December 15, 2010 - The Daily Yonder

Immigrants' First Stop: Suburbia

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that new immigrants have been heading to small towns and suburban areas rather than big cities over the past decade.

December 15, 2010 - The New York Times

Solar Farm Has Ideal Location But Environmental Impacts

A renewable energy company wants to build a major solar power farm on former ranchland in rural California. But environmental concerns over habitat and scenic beauty could stall the process.

August 18, 2010 - NPR

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.