Aging courthouses, libraries, and jails are a quiet rural crisis—but also a chance to right‑size, co‑locate, and adaptively reuse community facilities so small towns can keep governing well.
jcshepard.com/2026/04/smal...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Infrastructure
A carving of a rabbit (or hare) wearing shoes on a corbel in the medieval franciscan friary in Waterford
Happy Easter!
Here's a medieval rabbit or hare from the Franciscan Friary in Waterford City.
With such fancy shoes he must be the Easter Bunny! 🐰
#Ireland #SpéirGhorm #Medieval
Agreed. Pox on both their houses.
When I criticize Trump (as I do constantly since he is a kleptocratic, corrupt moron who is puts the world economy at risk without improving the lot of the average American) I don’t want to see this criticism be interpreted as an endorsement of the left. Their strategic ineptness is impressive.
STaR has endorsed two sessions at #NPC26 of special interest to small town & rural planners:
* High-Tech Tools for Small-Town Futures,
Saturday 4/25 @1:30 pm (0.75 CM)
* When Data Centers Come to Town,
Saturday 4/25 @3:30 pm (0.75 CM)
See you in Detroit later this month!
#SmallTownRural #Planning
WTF
I addressed revisions, falling response rates and other related issues at greater length in this story last month:
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/b...
“Hundreds of rural hospitals across the country are facing closures after years of funding problems. The issue was compounded last summer by the Trump administration’s massive cuts to Medicaid, the government’s safety net for low-income Americans…”
National Embarrassment to Planning Commission. #WTF
The Secret of a Small Town’s Success
Let me tell you about a small town at the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills.
medium.com/small-towns-...
#SmallTowns #planning #econdev
OUTSIDE COMMENTARY: Across Nebraska and in many American cities, policymakers are debating the future of historic preservation and cultural funding. Here's why such efforts matter.
From Jessica Wagner:
Midwest traffic jam.
WTF
“There are two ways to understand this data.
1. At a national level, rural America is growing, which is a positive economic signal.
2. But that growth is uneven; only about half of rural counties gained population last year, while the other half continued to shrink, many of them persistently.”
Kittanning, PA Changed Their City One House at a Time
Deb Brown shares how Andrew Laddaslaw, a local pastor in Kittanning, PA, had this idea… Many houses in neighborhoods needed sprucing up, repairing, and a few needed tearing down.
medium.com/@debworks/ki...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Housing
Hey, you left the wind behind in Columbus. You were supposed to take that back with you!
How Global Trade Can Make or Break Rural Economies
Global trade isn’t abstract for farm towns and mill communities—today’s post looks at how it can make or break rural economies, and what smart policy and local strategy can do about it: jcshepard.com/2026/03/glob...
#rural #trade #tariffs #econdev
Front Porches and Paychecks: Housing, Quality of Life, and Economic Development cover image
Front Porches and Paychecks: #Housing, Quality of Life, and Economic Development
In 2026, “cheap rural housing” is a myth. The real competitive edge for #smalltowns is different: homes people can afford & #qualityoflife that makes them want to stay.
#rural #econdev
jcshepard.com/2026/03/hous...
In the latest episode of Only Planners in the Building, join host Andy Cross, AICP, as we talk with Ben LeRoy, AICP, JD an academic advisor & instructor at the University of Illinois. A highlight is our discussion on planning internships. Where was yours? open.spotify.com/episode/6Sag...
Main Streets thrive when they adapt. Dive into how small towns are turning diversification and innovation into long-term resilience.
Read more on Medium: medium.com/small-towns-...
#SmallTowns #MainStreet #Resilience #Innovation #RuralDevelopment
“A category of firm (startups) representing one-fifth of employment is generating nearly half of all net new jobs. This was known over a decade ago, the data hasn’t changed, but most policy hasn’t either.”
-Paul OBrien
#econdev #entrepreneurship #publicpolicy
Founders Can’t Scale What Government Won’t
“The case for why this work matters starts with a number most economic developers can recite; young firms account for about 20% of overall employment but almost half of new jobs on average throughout the world.”
seobrien.medium.com/founders-can...
We are exceptionally pleased to see @carlbfrey.bsky.social shortlisted for the 2026 Lionel Gelber Prize. This prestigious award honors the world’s best non-fiction book in English on foreign affairs that seeks to deepen public debate on significant international issues
Learn more: hubs.ly/Q048GK440
Many global fire vehicle manufacturers build aerial ladder trucks designed to work well on slender streets (with just 10 to 12 feet of clear, unobstructed width. Rosenbauer builds such vehicles for the US market. Who else does?
#emergencyresponse #firefighter #firefighting #trafficcalming
![The image depicts a black and white photograph of an old wooden cabin with stone accents. The structure features a pitched roof made from what appears to be shingles, and the walls are constructed primarily of vertical logs, some showing signs of weathering or rotting at their bases where they meet the ground level. A chimney is visible on one side, suggesting that there may have been a fireplace within. There's an extended porch with wooden planks supported by simple beams; various items including chairs and what looks like buckets are scattered around it, indicating everyday use.
The cabin shows signs of age and disrepair: missing shingles from the roof, broken or missing boards in places on both walls and under the eaves, and a dilapidated porch. The ground is barren with no grass or plants visible near the structure; instead, patches of bare earth can be seen which may indicate that this area has been subjected to harsh weather conditions.
The photograph appears historical based on its monochrome presentation and style, hinting at it being taken during an earlier period when such structures were more common. There are writings in white text along the top edge of the photo; however, due to image resolution constraints, these inscriptions aren't entirely legible except for "Satyri," which seems part of a longer word or phrase.
There's no visible movement within this [...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ls2ap3pxsotp3pgwjf7o633l/bafkreifzfc65tyouq62zoilmc6jts4674uyzz53f7yrl72tllhp4tci2je)
The image depicts a black and white photograph of an old wooden cabin with stone accents. The structure features a pitched roof made from what appears to be shingles, and the walls are constructed primarily of vertical logs, some showing signs of weathering or rotting at their bases where they meet the ground level. A chimney is visible on one side, suggesting that there may have been a fireplace within. There's an extended porch with wooden planks supported by simple beams; various items including chairs and what looks like buckets are scattered around it, indicating everyday use. The cabin shows signs of age and disrepair: missing shingles from the roof, broken or missing boards in places on both walls and under the eaves, and a dilapidated porch. The ground is barren with no grass or plants visible near the structure; instead, patches of bare earth can be seen which may indicate that this area has been subjected to harsh weather conditions. The photograph appears historical based on its monochrome presentation and style, hinting at it being taken during an earlier period when such structures were more common. There are writings in white text along the top edge of the photo; however, due to image resolution constraints, these inscriptions aren't entirely legible except for "Satyri," which seems part of a longer word or phrase. There's no visible movement within this [...]
House occupied by sharecropper family for seven years. Near Hartwell, Georgia
#House #Hartwell #Georgia #Satyri #undefined #photography #DorotheaLange
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017770500/
Pemberton, a small town outside Mankato, needs more volunteer firefighters or risks having to shutter its fire department.
It’s part of a nationwide pattern: While call volume for emergencies has increased, there’s been a big drop in the number of people trained and willing to respond to them.
New population estimates show that U.S. growth in metro areas slowed sharply as immigration dropped and hurricanes pushed people out of some Gulf Coast counties.
There is never going to be enough funding nor resources. We need to start with being prepared to help ourselves.
Thanks for reading.
Bennet, a three-term senator, is the first candidate for Colorado governor to officially qualify for the primary ballot. His chief opponent for the Dem nomination is AG Phil Weiser.
Hickenlooper, who served two terms as governor and was elected to the Senate in 2020, is seeking reelection.
