There is a growing concern about the marginalization of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in terms of infrastructural and social services provision. This study examined the water supply deficiency and its general implications for rural development within the region. Data and other study characteristics were extracted from 501 subjects drawn from…

Cooperative behaviors among private investors, local entities and a county can create significant efficiencies and resources to achieve a countywide vision. A county willing to take on this leadership role can provide technology and creates incentives for cooperation, supports opportunistic action, and regulates a balance between private sector…

Rural development is a multidimensional phenomenon. The political dimension, relating as it does to power, resources, accountability, priorities and choice, is a pivotal aspect of rural development. Local government is often the centrepiece of rural political systems. Interventions to reconfigure local government are therefore quintessentially…

As one of several special reports on development possibilities for the agriculture and forestry sector of the Four Corners Economic Development Region, this monograph deals with the use of industrial development bonds as a means of resolving finance problems arising from inadequate or nonexistent credit in rural areas. Distinguishing between the…

Officials in eight Virginia localities gave their perceptions of community needs, described external sources of technical assistance, and evaluated the assistance. Analysis revealed a vertical pattern in the network of assistance from public and private agencies and demonstrated that communities are dependent upon the network to maintain…

Information on the commuting patterns of the employees of a recently constructed manufacturing facility in north central Illinois is presented in this report. The subjects included 720 hourly workers and 300 salaried employees of a cold rolling mill. Data were obtained from the 1972 personnel records of the plant and were available for 98% of the…

This report offers three broad suggestions for redefining how small town service delivery is examined. First, it uses a very broad definition of service delivery that encompasses revenue enhancement methods, expenditure reduction options, and innovative program arrangements. Second, it argues that three interrelated categories of research needs…

Models of action-planning systems, planning methods, and implementation schemes for rural development are presented in this paper. The Dutch experience describes the elements of rural planning and contributing sciences or skills, implementation and action, and organization for planning. Various aspects of the British model are compared to the…

Argues that state government must take a strong lead in promoting rural development. Justification for such a role includes improving the efficiency of the state's economy; making full use of fixed investments; improving rural-urban equity; preserving a rural lifestyle; and responding effectively to population density differences between rural and…

An Appalachian Regional Commission survey of 180 institutions of higher education in the Appalachian Region pinpoints which institutions offer technical assistance to state and local governments and officals. (Author)

Discusses the money saving practice of small communities contracting with neighboring communities for special government services like firefighting. Using fire protection as an example, provides practical information for negotiating a fair price. Stresses establishing a bargaining range within which negotiations can take place--setting upper and…

The consistent economic growth of the Georgia community is the result of careful planning over a long period. Successful community development efforts have resulted in a new regional library, an airport, a vocational technical school, an industrial park, and increased industrialization. (SB)

Some local governments in nonmetro areas--especially those in the rural West and in very rural areas--experienced high levels of fiscal stress in the mid-seventies that were associated with high and rising local taxes. These local governments may be forced to cut back their rural development activities in the eighties. Fiscal pressures on local…

Reports results of a 1982 survey of suburban and rural local governments in Maryland, which showed that cable television in rural areas is generally inferior to that in the suburbs, providing less revenue for local governments and poorer services. Advises local officials how to improve their current cable arrangements. (JHZ)

A 1975-79 study assessing community satisfaction and migration intentions in 8 nonmetropolitan Utah communities ranging in population from 1,350 to 6,300 had 3 unique characteristics: (1) the use of distance from the community to the closest Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA), per capita sales tax, and energy development status as…