Rural Areas

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?
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.

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.

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.
The Important Role of Rural Transit
A recent report details how residents of rural areas in Minnesota use transit.
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.
Jobs Up in Rural Areas
With unemployment numbers falling, jobs are on the rise in some rural parts of the country.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Smog Invades the Cowboy State
Unhealthy, smog-filled air has struck an unsuspecting locale: rural Wyoming.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pagination
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research