Rural Communities

Aerial view of Stowe, Vermont, small rural town with tall church steeple and forest and mountains in background.

New Data: Rural Remote Workers Concentrate in Recreation Hubs

Remote workers flock to ski towns, hiking spots and other popular recreation hubs.

March 13, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Massachusetts state capitol with gold dome in Boston, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms

A package of proposed bills would change the state’s road funding formula to ensure more money flows to rural areas with limited resources.

March 6, 2025 - WAMC

Street with historic buildings and American flag hanging from lamppost in downtown Hinton, West Virginia.

Commentary: How Remote Work Supports Rural Communities

Allowing federal employees to work from home can deepen government agencies’ understanding of communities’ needs and create economic opportunities for local residents.

March 5, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Aerial view of Broadway Street of Philipsburg, Montana, Philipsburg is a town in and the county seat of Granite County, Montana, United States.

Study: Urban US Residents Have Higher Life Expectancy Than Rural Americans

A combination of economic and social factors leads to higher rates of disease and reduced access to healthcare for many rural residents.

February 27, 2025 - The Conversation

Small encampment with tents and mattress along heating pipe in green forest.

Rural Homelessness Could Be Vastly Underestimated, Study Finds

The annual ‘point in time’ count fails to capture the diverse types of situations experienced by unhoused people in rural communities.

February 13, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

February 12, 2025 - Cowboy State Daily

rural town main street.

The Importance of Rural Transit

On Transit Equity Day, reminding policymakers that rural communities need access to transit too.

February 4, 2025 - Transportation for America

Sign for Needles, California installed on wooden wagon with residential neighborhood visible in background.

Commentary: Why We Need a Federal Definition of ‘Rural’

A patchwork of definitions of rural versus urban areas has real consequences for communities seeking federal funding.

February 4, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Blue public transit bus on street with mountains in background in Aspen, Colorado.

Rural Buses a ‘Lifeline’ in Colorado

Bus ridership on local and intercity buses in rural areas rose sharply even as urban transit ridership took a hit between 2019 and 2024.

January 22, 2025 - The Denver Post

Brownsville, Tennessee town sign.

Appreciating Rural Cultural Resources

A focus on ‘placemaking’ too often obscures or exploits local culture and history.

January 5, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Aerial view of manufactured housing mobile home park in rural area.

Rural Renters at Increased Risk of Eviction

Rural residents often have a harder time accessing legal assistance and eviction prevention resources.

December 23, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

Aerial view of small town of Sparta, Wisconsin.

Opinion: Federal Government Must Continue Supporting Rural Housing Program

The incoming Congress will have a say in bolstering — or harming — the only federal housing program focused on affordable housing in rural areas.

December 8, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

Mexico City, Florida

Commentary: Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Hurricane-Vulnerable Rural Communities Is Imperative

As we brace for the second half of the 2024 hurricane season, we need to take serious action to help rural communities recover and build greater resilience against hurricanes.

September 11, 2024 - John Travis Marshall

Aerial view of a blue bridge over a wide, flooded river in Kentucky.

Are FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Calculations Biased Against Rural Communities?

The federal tool used to inform flood protection spending calculates communities' risk by multiplying expected annual loss in dollars by their risk factor. As a result, many rural areas are classified as “low” risk, despite frequent, severe flooding.

August 29, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

Close-up of hand holding EV charger charging car with brick three-story house in background.

The Case for EVs in Rural Areas

Many rural households could benefit from the cost savings of electric cars for everyday trips.

July 11, 2024 - CleanTechnica

Aerial view of green rural community with houses in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Launches Rural Revitalization Commission

While U.S. rural communities gained in population overall, the growth came largely in the South.

June 26, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

View of street in small town of Camillus, New York on a cloudy day.

Rural Affordable Housing in Crisis

Rural U.S. communities are poised to lose hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units as federally backed mortgages mature.

April 9, 2024 - HousingWire

Rural community qith quaint homes and white steepled church against forest with fall colors and German shepherd dog in foreground.

Rural Communities See Population Growth Two Years Running

Once bleeding population, rural areas gained population once again in 2023.

April 3, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

Rural bus stop

Congress Hears Rural Transportation Challenges

A Congressional subcommittee heard testimony from rural transportation officials, transit providers, and lawmakers.

March 26, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of American flag sticker on a silver subway train.

How Public Transit Became Political

A number of factors explain the partisan divide in support for transit.

March 14, 2024 - Governing

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.

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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.