Active Roadmap Case Study: Oxford, MS

OXFORD’S COMPLETE STREETS ADD ECONOMIC BENEFITS Location: Oxford, MS Population: 27,662 (2020) Typologies: Traditional main street community; College community. Key takeaway: Improving safety and comfort for people walking, biking, and rolling can improve not only the safety and enjoyment of people in a rural community but also the economy of the community. Oxford, MS, is … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Erwin, TN

ERWIN’S THRIVING DOWNTOWN ACTIVITY CENTER Location: Erwin, TN Population: 5,910 (2020) Typologies: Retirement, second-home; Traditional main street; Edge Key takeaway: By focusing on attracting investment to its historic downtown, expanding broadband, and improving access to local amenities and commercial areas, Erwin has created a thriving downtown activity center, where residents can safely walk to the … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Excelsior Springs, MO

EXCELSIOR SPRING RESILIENCY CAPABILITIES Location: Excelsior Springs, MO Population: 11,688 Typologies: Traditional main street; Edge Key takeaway: By applying a combination of strategies to support local businesses during a global health crisis, Excelsior Springs was able to minimize negative effects to their local economy, continue to attract visitors, and maintain the healthy, stable community that … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Paris, TX

PARIS TAILORS FIXED-ROUTE SERVICE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS Location: Paris, Texas Population: 24,814 (2020) Typology: Traditional Main Street community Key takeaway: Through community partnerships, Paris’s fixed-route service was kept affordable for residents, and was tailored to the needs of the sponsoring partners. Paris is a town of 25,000 people located in northeastern Texas along the border … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Chillicothe, OH

CHILLICOTHE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS Location: Chillicothe, OH Population: 21,668 (2020) Typologies: Traditional main street; Edge Key takeaway: Chillicothe’s process was successful because the decisions the city made were driven by and through the extensive community engagement that was conducted. This led the city to pursue a hybrid option of preserving the fixed-route service while also adding … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Pawhuska, OK

OSAGE NATION TRIBAL COMMUNITY DEVELOP A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Location: Pawhuska, OK Population: 3,456 (2020) Typologies: Gateway; Traditional main street; Edge; Tribal and Native American Key takeaway: With a clear vision, shaped based on an understanding of their history and identity, the Osage Nation implemented a series of projects that worked together toward a … Continued

Complete Streets Rural Development

Active Roadmap Case Study: Saco, ME

DOWNEASTER RAIL SERVICE CONNECTS COMMUNITIES Location: Saco, Brunswick, and Surrounding Rural Communities, ME Population: 19,716 (2020) Typologies: Gateway; Resource-dependent; Retirement, second-home; Traditional main street; College; Edge. Key takeaway: Transit service can make living in rural areas more attractive for young adults who want access to attractions and resources in nearby cities, and more feasible for … Continued

Rural Development

The Mountains Are Calling: Placemaking and Redevelopment in Elkins, West Virginia

  Elkins, West Virginia has been working to revitalize their downtown, a challenge in any circumstance, but especially in a rural Appalachian town. The workshop with Smart Growth America shared expertise and provided site-specific advice to aid local officials and community members in placemaking. The SGA team visited Elkins for two days where they participated … Continued

Economic development Resilience Rural Development Technical assistance

Here’s what we heard at the Nuclear Communities Forum

On April 1, the Nuclear Communities team virtually hosted the first Nuclear Communities Forum which sought to amplify knowledge-sharing between nuclear host communities on a national level and set a guiding footprint for those experiencing the impacts of decommissioning across the country. Read on for insights from communities who were able to plan early—and those who weren’t. 

Economic development Rural Development

SGA is partnering with T-Mobile to assist rural communities

In a unique partnership focused on bringing vital connections to rural America, Smart Growth America is helping T-Mobile give one small community a prize package worth $3 million as well as millions in smaller grants for hundreds of other rural and small town communities to reinvest in their downtowns, improve their quality of life, become … Continued

Rural Development Technical assistance