Rural Communities
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.
Rural Communities See Population Growth Two Years Running
Once bleeding population, rural areas gained population once again in 2023.
Congress Hears Rural Transportation Challenges
A Congressional subcommittee heard testimony from rural transportation officials, transit providers, and lawmakers.
How Public Transit Became Political
A number of factors explain the partisan divide in support for transit.
Minnesota, Vermont Experiment With Rural Trip Planning Websites
Pilot programs in the two states aimed to make transit information more accessible for riders in rural areas, where on-demand and microtransit services make trip planning more complex.
Bringing Complete Streets to Rural Communities
With nearly half of U.S. road deaths occurring on rural roads, the Complete Streets approach offers a safer way forward, but few towns are taking it on.
Federal Rural Road Safety Funding Falls Short of Requests
Despite high rates of traffic deaths, rural communities lack the resources to address road safety issues.
Report Highlights Housing Issues in Rural America
Rising costs and an aging housing stock are squeezing rural households, with the impacts felt unevenly across ages and ethnicities.
How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.
Growth in Small Utah Towns Prompts Road Safety Concerns
As small towns rapidly gain population, local infrastructure will have to adjust to keep up with more pedestrians and car traffic.
Rural Areas Experience Higher Food Insecurity
As pandemic-era assistance programs expire, the rate of food insecurity for rural households is rising higher than in their urban counterparts.
New Book Analyzes America’s Poorest Communities
The similarities between the nation’s most disadvantaged areas, often rural, reveal the economic patterns that lead to chronic poverty.
New Book Sheds Light on Rural Governance
Learn more about a new book that provides some overdue attention to public governance and administration in small towns and rural communities.
Building Resiliency in Rural Power Grids
A National Science Foundation study seeks to understand the impact of climate change and extreme weather on rural electrical grids in diverse geographic areas.
How Homelessness Differs in Rural America
Although less visible than in major cities, the housing crisis is no less severe in many rural communities, where being unhoused poses unique challenges.
Growing Pains in Northwest Arkansas
Like other small communities suddenly made popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, the region is struggling to maange its explosive growth.
As Rural Areas Grow, So Do Tensions
The influx of new households to rural communities is driving up housing costs for existing residents and straining local infrastructure, sparking difficult conversations about future growth.
On-Demand Microtransit Proves Itself in Rural Virginia
Two Virginia transit companies launched pilot projects for on-demand microtransit services in 2021, spurring record growth in ridership as a result.
Iowa Towns Embrace a ‘Shrink Smart’ Approach
Population loss doesn’t have to be a harbinger of doom. Some rural communities are taking small but impactful steps to improve quality of life for their remaining residents.
The Housing Crisis Grows in Rural Idaho
The state’s smaller communities are feeling the pressure of sharply rising housing costs, stagnating wages, and an aging population.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
