Discusses service industries' role in developing economies of rural areas. Describes ways service industries generate employment and local income and blend with a local economy. Summarizes survey of contributions to local economies and what attracted them to their communities for 385 service firms in nonmetropolitan Wisconsin. Tables provide…

This guidebook presents 64 profiles of successful economic development initiatives in the small towns and rural areas of 37 states. Intended for use by rural and small town leaders and rural economic development specialists, the guide provides ideas, encouragement, and an "insider perspective" on alternative rural development strategies.…

The Community Design movement advocates that mismanagement of the physical environment is a major factor contributing to social and economic ills of a community. This book provides the proven tools and techniques for bringing community members into the community design process successfully and productively. It offers 15 case studies chronicling…

The paper addresses the importance of developing a rural community's commercial sector for economic development by providing some analytical tools. Procedures are outlined to estimate commercial sector activity in a community, to estimate commercial sector activity for various counties within a state (Nevada is used as an example), and to develop…

This publication reports accomplishments of the National Extension Task Force for Community Leadership and makes recommendations for strengthening educational programming in community leadership in the Cooperative Extension System. The recommendations are presented in the context of a "white paper" rather than formal policy. High…

The purpose of this guidebook is to help elected leaders of small towns and communities stretch their investments when matching funds are required to compete for a grant or to pay for development costs above the grant award itself. The federal "small cities" Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is used as an example throughout the…

Although useful for any community development planning team, this handbook is designed to assist Future Farmers of America chapter committees in coordinating Building Our American Communities (BOAC) projects. Ten steps for successful chapter participation in the BOAC program are outlined. These steps include selecting the BOAC committee and…

This text is intended as a basis for community development educators to increase their understanding of the elements of community development, assess systematically the strengths and weaknesses of a community development situation, examine one approach to community development education and the principles from which it grew, and gain confidence in…

Emergence of a dual agricultural system, need for sophisticated knowledge and equipment, declining importance of labor, and geographic and organizational concentration of the production and processing of certain commodities are creating changes in rural communities. While some changes will have negative social/economic impacts, the importance of…

Reports universal issues discussed by social welfare experts from 20 European/North American countries: unique energy of strong "local communities," stimulation of innovative thinking to resolve rural problems, and recognition that depopulated rural communities often regain strength and vitality when they become more accepting of new…

Economic development efforts in small towns should focus on the birth, expansion, and retention of small enterprises. A consistent and rational policy towards new growth and an enthusiastic development team composed of individuals with knowledge of or access to others with knowledge of industrial sites, financing, utilities, labor, transportation,…

This guide was written for small and rural government officials who have limited experience with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and with federal grants in general. The use of outside expertise is often necessary in projects involving public facilities, housing, and economic development, some of the principal activities which…

Rural development is a democratic process involving local people in the analysis of their problems. It requires involvement from public and private organizations to deliver technical information, education, resources, organization, and other forms of tangible support. Diversity of lifestyles, changing energy costs, small inexpensive computers, and…

Presenting a base of general information that local business people and government officials involved with downtown revitalization should be familiar with in order to understand the range of options available and factors that will influence the outcomes of any revitalization program, the paper summarizes current theories, trends, studies, and…

Presenting concepts generally applicable only to small rural regions or to local economies, this publication explains multipliers, shows how they are used in calculating impacts, and provides some criteria for determining whether a given multiplier can be used in a specific situation. Following a discussion of aggregate multipliers, which lump…