The Rural Resources Guide from http://www.wyomingrural.org/resources.asp
The creation of jobs is not a high priority is areas where the laborforce
is shrinking as those who are unemployed and young people move away. On
the otherhand, developing and maintaining an infrasturce to attract opportunities
for the underemployed has proven to be worthwhile in many rural areas
with potential. The buzzword, penturbia, enjoyed a brief exposure in the
spotlight as certain rural areas were identified for their potential to
move toward urbanized development. The installation of high-speed Internet
lines (broadband) in rural areas by telephone companies that have access
to economic development incentives is an example of technology put to use.
Politications and ecoomic developers, however, need to recognize that
the advent of the Internet as a technology for rural development is more
likely to attract the entrepreneur as an independent worker than it is
to create jobs en masse in the traditional way.
Working with a rural infrastructure of potential first means
making changes in the factors
of production as
they exist so that they can facilitate economic
development. Selecting
a non-urban
area for economic development in essence means identifying an area
community and factoring in its laborforce for
productivity as well as its leadership along with
the
land, capital, and technology. The
area community is likely to have population centers that are identifiable
as communities unto themselves—crossroads communities
The rural
laborforce becomes human capital.
Rural development in this regard is a process of restructuring and
growing an economy in a way that enhances the well being of an area community
in
total. This definition of rural development may also double as a definition
of rural community development or community economic development. that- of a national, state or local economyapplies
to sparsely
settled or agricultural creation
of jobs and wealth, and the improvement of quality of life. Economic
development can also be described as a process that influences growth
and restructuring
of an economy to enhance the economic well being of a community.
rural development:
Definition
of rural
development in the Enterprise
and Economic Development Glossary.
See the answer below to the question, what is rural?
Rural
contacts in position to supply location data about places wanting economic
development have the opportunity to list in the three websites of The
Network for free. To take advantage of this opportunity rural development representatives,
anywhere in the world, should either apply
for a record in the Global Registry of Contacts. GRC database applications
are processed without cost or obligation; also records are organized and
maintained in the database
for free.
Community
development is defined in the Enterprise and Enterprise
and Economic Development Glossary. Community development and rural development
may appear.as categories of location
data in promotional material prepared by area
and local development representatives wanting to stress that programs
are available. Community
Development is a section of the Enterprise
and Economic Development Library that has information and resource for
those who are interested in local and rural development. Also, The Network defines community
profile, pointing out here that the same description applies to
rural development profile; i.e. the latter is defined as ... a
format for presenting facts about a rural
location. Community profiles and rural development profiles can
both be useful, for example, as site
selection resources and are likely
to present information under location
data categories as such.
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What is rural?
The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) has a resource paper published
online titled A Review of Urban and Rural Area Definitions.
It indicates that coming up with a definition of rural is a challenge. Look
on page 15 of the report if you want details.
Wikipedia offers
information about rural development.
The Free Dictionary by Farlex defines rural
area—The
Network defines area
development.
Several years ago the World Bank reported that ... 75%
of the world's poor live in rural areas ... stating
too that its approach to rural development is ... holistic and
multi-sectoral, focused on improving the well-being of rural people
by building
their productive,
social, and environmental
assets. Although the link to the website where the quote was found
was broken when last checked, the website of the National Audit Office of the
UK
has a publication title, Tackling
rural poverty in developing countries, which mentions the
75% figure.
World
Bank / Agriculture & Rural Development Group:
Resource:
Topics
in Development
Resource: The
Enterprise and Economic Development Library links to WB resources.
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economic development in small communities and rural areas
One key to success is to organize and maintain a best
practices approach. Another is to define
economic development specifically for the wants and needs of the area,
taking into account what can be accomplished as a practical matter within
the range of resources available. The most effective approach that leaders
of small communities and rural areas can take in reaching out for
opportunities is networking. Economic
development at all levels is more likely to thrive when there is an
ally
network—see Priorities
for Places Seeking Economic Development.
The website Horizon
Local section of the website, www.globenet.org has
a resource paper titled: One minute guide to economic development for
remote and rural small towns .
The paper is made accessible here as a result of a on page 6 (definition
of community) of an
introduction to economic development. Understanding
how community
development and economic development work together is
one of the keys to success in organizing a best practices approach to
bringing positive change wanted in locations with rural demographics.
15 considerations:
If at all possible, any location seeking
economic development opportunities should ...
  have
at least one area
and local development representative working on
its behalf.
coordinate
regionally—lists
its
city-region in
Site Location Assistance.com.
create
goals and programs that are uniquely its own, not copy or envy what others
have.
build
ally
network and be optimistic, but realistic, in seeking support.
avoid
shoring up enterprises past their prime with subsidies. Encourage entrepreneurship.
seek
long-term solutions rather than quick
fixes.
inform,
educate, and include all facets of the community.
not
allow its lead development
representative to be a vested interest's
liaison.
develop
and maintain a prospect-oriented
infrastructure as well as create/offer incentives.
be
poised for action with information (see the definition of location
data supplier).
be
poised to provide assistance in finding sites and resources as well as
cutting red
tape.
protect
confidential plans and actions of prospects until they are ready to announce.
operate
with contributed funds wherever possible.
recognize
job
creation opportunities may be trumped by those for creating local wealth.
keep
the looks of the area inviting and attractive (see the definition of livability
appeal).
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rural development online:
Use the Google/.network search
engine to find resources
for small community and rural development by copying and pasting the following
suggested keyword
combinations (italicized) in its search
box. A search
tool for querying the Web only is at the top of this page.
 Search
the Web for ... common denominators success
rural economic development
Search
the Web for ... resources success rural economic
development
Search
the Web for ... small
communities rural economic development resources
Search
the Web for ... small
community rural economic development basics
Search
the Web for ... rural development
incentives entrepreneurial
Search
the Web for ... rural economic
development incentives location*
Search
the Web for ... rural development
incentives entrepreneurial location*
* substitute the location
identity for a place
of interest to you for the
italicized word location.
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livability appeal:
... a promotional statement about what it's like to live
in an area. Adjectives may be added to advertising that implies a
location ranks above others in terms of quality
of life.
Rural areas are sometimes perceived to
have livability, especially
by urban dwellers who long for greener
pastures. What is an urban dweller? He or she is someone living
in urban sprawl (an urbanized
area). Metropolitan areas have an inherent problem with
livability
because, without commerce, they
lack
the basics of sustainability that can be
attributed to many rural communities. Residents of micropolitan areas
enjoy the less urbanized and more rural aspects of where they live. Real
estate developers on the periphery of urban
areas sometimes seek to capitalize on the rural appeal
by the way they name their residential communities.
The
definition of city-region relates to some of the comments
above.
The Smart
Growth Resource Library which lists livable cities in the US, as provided
by www.mostlivable.org, states that the
latter website's definition of livability has changed over a the years.
Standard dictionary definitions have remained unchanged, however. For example, Merriam-Webster
Online states that livability means ... suitability
for human living .
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labor shed:
... a commuting
pattern which is usually represented in the form of a map.
AKA a commute shed, the shed feeds into where the jobs are. For
example, workers coming into a community to report to their job
from a surrounding area are said to be in-commuting. Workers
regularly leaving a community to report to their jobs elsewhere,
are out-commuters. Use the search engine at the top of this page
by copying and pasting the following italicized text lines. If you have
a place
of interest in mind, substitute it
identity for the word location. Keyword combination suggestions:
"labor shed" location,"commute shed" location,
"labor sheds"(keep quotation marks).
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Conserving Communities by Wendell Berry:
The resource paper written by Berry in the mid-1990s presents 17 rules that guide
communities in avoiding the modern economic and social harms of development.
The rules are published in various locations on the Internet (example),
in some cases independent of Conserving Communities and his other writings.
For example. Amazon.com has chapter one of Berry's Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community,
titled Conservation
and Local Economy, available online. FMH Search contains a file that
paraphrases most of the rules and adds information for those who are interested
or engaged in rural enterprise and economic development.
The FMH Search file: http://www.findmehere.com/search/infohelp/berrypoints.htm
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types of economies:
A global
economy supports enterprise
and economic development across international borders. A
regional
economy (definitions of region)
can operate on a global scale without consideration for international borders.
Global regions are listed
in the locations
section of the library with suggestions for keyword
searches that relate to the mission
of The Network.
CLICK
HERE for a list of various types of economies with links
to their definitions.
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location sustainability:
The basics of community sustainability
are water, food, and shelter in a livable environment. Appendix F of
the Enterprise
and Economic Development Glossary has more information—links.
Places in non-industrialized regions around the world where people
can directly access the basics have the best chance of long-term
viability, for example, farm communities in rural areas where productive
environments are maintained out of harms way.
Growth and development
in rural areas can be a double-edged sword. The promise
of a higher quality
of life may be offered in rural areas; however, it
is predicted that
growth and development will exhaust
resources. Transitions from agrarian to urban life exacerbate the
predicted situation while quality
of living declines for disturbingly larger percentage
of the population.
Perhaps the first indicators of non-sustainability are the generation of demographics that
classify families as poor or, in the case of communities, run-down neighborhoods—in
the cities its the increase in the number of street
people or the rise of ghettos.
In the paragraph above, it is indicated that productive environments need
to be maintained out of harms way. Harm comes in various ways, such
as destruction by war or brought about by natural
causes.
The first obvious signs of change to come in location that give rise to concerns
about sustainability are brought about by the development of commerce. The
following is a quote from a resource paper of The Network which also
addresses some economic development basics.
Somewhere centuries ago a community decided to celebrate,
and a festival was born. Vendors sensed that people would gather and
be in a mood to buy their wares. Townsfolk realized that visitors from
afar would need places to rest. Someone knew enough to organize the
event and, if that person was a visionary, he knew that revelers would
pay to watch the sun go down, that is if accompanying food and music
were provided.
Visitors beat new paths to the community. Paths turned into roads. Vendors
decided that the festival was sustainable, so they stayed on, calling the
place where they gathered to do business the market. The community now
had a commercial center. Dwellings that offered hospitality became inns
and eating-places.
The sun was reliable in its setting. This was the place where (economic
development) was born (source
or quote).
Sustainable development is a process that maintains community
development momentum in a location for
an extended period. In terms of the global economy the
phrase has come to mean that first consideration is given to the wants
and need
of the community so
that local economic
development occurs without taking away what
future generations will need to carry on. The Enterprise
and Economic Development Glossary defines sustainable
community. Imbuing in the minds of student practitioners that
concern for community
sustainability is of importance should be
something that those
who teach economic development basics take
seriously.
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What is a community profile?
It is a location profile ... by narrow definition, a
presentation of facts about a community seeking
economic
development, i.e., information organized to promote a place to economic
development prospects. In the broader sense a profile of a locale or
development
region used to inform or promote to prospects and which typically
shows information categorized, for example, see page
2 of the series about site selection in Site
Location Assistance.com. The page lists
various categories of location
data typically used in the production of the type of profile
defined here.
The question is who does the enterprise
developer or site
selector obtain
a location profile from? The answer in general terms is a location
data supplier. See page
4 of the series about economic development in the Economic
Development Network website. The page is a guide to the various sources
of information about places
of interest to users
of The Network. Area
and local development representatives are
generally credited as being the originating sources of location data in
that they are at the point where
the rubber meets the road in terms
of enterprise
and economic development. See comments under the definition
of community profile in the Enterprise
and Economic Development Glossary to learn how
area and local development representatives can arrange for links to where
they have location data published online for prospects.
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sustainable communities:
The following attributes of a sustainable
community are paraphrased from a webfile of
the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance. Sustainable community is
defined in the The Network glossary under its local
economic development.
Sustainable communities ...
acknowledge
that economic, environmental and social issues are interrelated.
acknowledge
that the above issues should be addressed holistically.**
recognize
the sensitive interface between a natural and man-made environment.
understand
polluting, wasteful practices and move to shift from them.
understand
their natural, cultural, historical and human assets and resources.
take
actions to protect and enhance their assets and resources.
consider
the full environmental, economic and social impacts of their existence.
consider
the full environmental, economic and social impacts of development.
nurture
the wants and needs of citizens through collaboration and participation.
promote
resource conservation and pollution prevention.
focus
on improving community health, livability,
and quality of life.
act
to create value-added products and services in the local economy.
CLICK HERE for a
review of best
practices for places wanting
economic
development if your interest is in using the attributes listed
above for guiding your community in its
implementation of plans for pursuing opportunities and the accommodation
of prospects.
** the community as
a whole. ESCR-Net.org, the International
Network for Economic, Social & Cultural
Rights website, addresses holistic and sustainable development of
communities. For more about holistic development of communities and sustainability
copy and paste the following italicized keywords in the search
box at the top of this page and Google. |
rural economic development
