rural

The paper discusses the promise creativity holds on rural areas. According to the author, many small cities and towns can and do cultivate creative and cultural environments. But location matters, and the most successful of these are near enough to recreational or historic areas to attract tourists, seasonal residents, and urban expatriates.

The paper investigates the historical process of industrialisation. The allocation of labour between food and non-food activities and the pattern of consumption of domestic versus industrial manufacture are determined endogenously, depending on terms of trade between agricultural and industrial goods.

According to the authors, the processes of metropolitanization must explain if and how they concern some specific areas, how and if they primarily concern networks, hubs and nodes, pushing into the background the immediate territories of the metropolis. The analyses of the structuring and the functioning of this rural area highlight the emergence of new patterns of urbanity and new territorial-type configuration, as the "rural metropolis".

Using Census data, the Department of Agricultures Economic Research Service tracks spending across government departments and agencies, breaking it out by area (rural and metro) and by functional category.

The study hypothesizes that the willingness and ability of public agencies and private firms to enter into partnerships are constrained by fundamentally different incentive structures. Tentative findings suggest that while incentives and perceptions do differ between sectors, sufficient common space exists or can be created through incentive structuring to facilitate greater partnership.

The paper uses data on the Indian rural branch expansion program to provide empirical evidence on the notion that lack of access to finance is often cited as a key reason for why poor people remain poor. Estimates suggest that the Indian rural branch expansion program significantly lowered rural poverty, and increased non-agricultural output.

The report from the Center for the Study of Rural America reveals findings from its conference consisting of senior policy officials and experts from 15 countries.

The Progressive Policy Institute report finds that fundamental structural changes in technology, markets and organizations are leaving rural areas behind. America must develop new industries with sustainable competitive advantages in order to prosper, the study concludes.

The report suggests innovations in public and private institutions could be the key to aligning governance with opportunity. The report also calls for creating a process that allows regions to make quick and efficient economic decisions that are in line with new economic opportunities.

The National Center for Small Communities identifies best practices for other small communities to consider and exploit. Many of the lessons learned have relevance to communities of all sizes: the need for a champion; widespread collaboration or buy in; taking a holistic or multi-faceted approach; avoiding cluster approaches to economic development; and committing for the long haul of several years.