Rural Communities
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.
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.
Appreciating Rural Cultural Resources
A focus on ‘placemaking’ too often obscures or exploits local culture and history.
Rural Renters at Increased Risk of Eviction
Rural residents often have a harder time accessing legal assistance and eviction prevention resources.
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.
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.
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.
The Case for EVs in Rural Areas
Many rural households could benefit from the cost savings of electric cars for everyday trips.
Pennsylvania Launches Rural Revitalization Commission
While U.S. rural communities gained in population overall, the growth came largely in the South.
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.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
