During the “Rural Successes and Opportunities in Creating Sustainable Communities and Regions” breakout session held December 3, Troy Maggied and Karen Rogulja of the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SWWRPC) discussed recent accomplishments of the Grow Southwest Wisconsin initiative, including data collection, building partnerships, and public involvement efforts.

To view the Powerpoint presentation, click here.  To learn more about the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, click here.

The presentation is available here.

Click on the links below to download workshop presentations and other resources:

Agenda and Participant Information

Framing the Issue: Positioning Smaller Communities for a Prosperous Future (Joseph Minicozzi, AICP, Urban3, LLC):
Part 1 and Part 2
Rural regions and small towns that coordinate long-term economic development strategies with local land use decisions and infrastructure investments can benefit from greater financial returns and improved quality of life. Joe Minicozzi will present research that quantifies the economic impacts of coordinated investments and policymaking in communities around the country.

5 x 5: Grantee Success Stories: Each grantee team described a key project success in a fast-paced series of short presentations (five minutes/five slides per team).

Growing Community through Partnerships: the Community as Expert (Paul Dreher, Livability Solutions): Tools to connect planning, placemaking, and economic development in small town settings.

Communications Clinic: Engaging Stakeholders and Champions to Articulate Values (Elisa Ortiz, Smart Growth America): Interactive training to help participants build and activate relationships with key community partners, identify shared community values and craft a clear, unique message, guided by hands-on exercises and facilitated discussions.

Handouts/Worksheets:

• Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders
• Stakeholder and Champion Engagement Worksheet
• Values Laddering Worksheet
• Values Messaging Worksheet

Without Smoke & Mirrors: Finding the Magic in E-logic Models & Performance Measures (Stacey Stockdill, EnSearch): Tools and strategies to help rural stakeholders choose and measure indicators to track program effectiveness and ensure positive community outcomes.

Creating and Retaining Wealth: New Ways of Approaching Economic Development in Rural and Small Metro Communities (Melissa Levy, Yellow Wood Associates): Interactive demonstration of tools designed to help practitioners identify and measure the impacts of project and policy actions on different forms of community wealth.

Handouts/Worksheets:

• Seven Forms of Wealth Continuum
• Community Wealth Matrix
• Seven Forms of Wealth Worksheet

For more information about NADO’s sustainable communities capacity building program, contact Kathy Nothstine at knothstine [at] nado.org.

The purpose of these interactive workshops was to learn about best practices in creating strong, vibrant rural communities; to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to promoting quality growth in Appalachia; and to identify opportunities for local development districts and their partners to link economic development strategies with transportation plans, regional development frameworks, and local initiatives to support long-term community goals.

Links to the agendas and presentations shared at each workshop are provided below. All files are in PDF format.

Southern Appalachia: May 15, Cartersville, Georgia.

Agenda and Presentations:

Workshop Agenda

Prosperous, Healthy, Vibrant Rural Regions and Communities (Kathy Nothstine)

Livable Regions and Communities in Appalachia (Anne Keller)

EPA Programs Supporting Livable and Sustainable Rural Communities (Ed Fendley)

GroWNC (Joe McKinney)

Greater Chattanooga Regional Growth Initiative (Beth Jones)

Livable Centers Initiative (Amy Goodwin)

Five Keys to Revitalizing Your Downtown (Cheryl Morgan)

Leveraging and Integrating Resources in Rome (Ann Arnold)

Central Appalachia: July 12, Kingsport, Tennessee.

Agenda and Presentations:

Workshop Agenda

Prosperous, Healthy, Vibrant Rural Regions and Communities (Kathy Nothstine)

EPA Programs Supporting Livable and Sustainable Rural Communities (Ed Fendley)

GroWNC (Carrie Runser-Turner)

New River Valley Livability Initiative (Kim Thurlow)

Five Keys to Revitalizing Your Downtown (Cheryl Morgan)

Transforming Liabilities into Assets: Clintwood, Virginia (Jim Baldwin)

USDA Rural Development: Working for Rural Communities (Joe Woody)

Central Appalachian Network: Building a Regional Network for Asset-Based Economic Development (Kathlyn Terry)

WNC Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project (Erica Anderson)

WNC Forestry Success Stories (link to videos on YouTube)

Appalachian Prosperity Project (Skip Skinner and Marcia Quesenberry)

Northern Appalachia: August 16, California, Pennsylvania.

Agenda and Presentations:

Workshop Agenda

Prosperous, Healthy, Vibrant Rural Regions and Communities (Kathy Nothstine)

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (Lew Vilotti)

River Town Program (Kent Edwards)

Ranson – Recreating a Community – Their Way (Dawn Seeburger)

Five Keys to Revitalizing Your Downtown (Cheryl Morgan)

EPA Programs Supporting Livable and Sustainable Rural Communities (Ed Fendley)

FHWA Grant Programs Supporting Livable Communities (Amy Fox)

USDA Rural Development (Todd Colley)

Social Impacts Of Marcellus Shale Exploration: A Research Summary (Kathy Brasier)

Building Diverse Partnerships to Develop Agricultural Community Assets (Leah Smith)

Trail Town Program (Bill Atkinson)

Reinventing the Wheel: Downtown and Neighborhood Revitalization Partnerships (Mary Lee Stotler)

Links to Additional Resources:

Vibrant Rural Communities: This series of case studies describes how rural regions and small towns across the country are growing local and regional economies and creating stronger communities. These stories illustrate how communities can leverage a wide range of tools and resources to build on their assets, protect their resources, and make strategic investments that offer long-term benefits.

Regional Approaches to Sustainable Development: Linking Economic, Transportation, and Environmental Infrastructure in Rural and Small Metropolitan America (PDF): Regional development organizations working in all types of communities across the country are designing and implementing strategies to create stronger, more dynamic, more resilient regional economies that are based on quality of place.  Featuring case studies from California, Michigan, North Carolina, and Utah, this report highlights the opportunities available to RDOs to undertake sustainable development initiatives using a systems-based approach.

Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Communities (PDF) (44 pp, 6.4MB, About PDF): 2012. A guide to programs from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that rural communities can use to promote economic competitiveness, protect healthy environments, and enhance quality of life.

Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Rural Planning, Zoning, and Development Codes: 2012. Hard copies available by emailing nscep@bps-lmit.com or calling (800) 490-9198 and requesting EPA 231-K-12-001 . Offers ten essential fixes to help rural communities amend their codes, ordinances, and development requirements to promote more sustainable development.

Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities (PDF) (52 pp, 2.8MB About PDF)
2011. Discusses federal programs that help rural America, presents sample funding and technical assistance opportunities and performance measures rural communities can use, and includes case studies showcasing rural accomplishments.

Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities: 2010. International City/County Management Association and Smart Growth Network. Hard copies available by emailing nscep@bps-lmit.com or calling (800) 490-9198 and requesting EPA 231-K-10-003. Focuses on smart growth strategies that can help guide growth in rural areas while protecting natural and working lands and preserving the rural character of existing communities.

Partnership for Sustainable Communities: In 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment. This website contains tools, resources, case studies, and more.

Links to further resources, news, and announcements related to rural and small town sustainable development initiatives

For more information about this workshop series or for more information about NADO’s work with regions pursuing sustainable development approaches, contact Kathy Nothstine at knothstine@nado.org or 202.624.5256.

Workshop Agenda (PDF)

Prosperous, Healthy, Vibrant Rural Regions and Communities (Kathy Nothstine) (PDF)

EPA Programs Supporting Livable and Sustainable Rural Communities (Ed Fendley) (PDF)

GroWNC (Carrie Runser-Turner) (PDF)

New River Valley Livability Initiative (Kim Thurlow) (PDF)

Five Keys to Revitalizing Your Downtown (Cheryl Morgan) (PDF)

Transforming Liabilities into Assets: Clintwood, Virginia (Jim Baldwin) (PDF)

USDA Rural Development: Working for Rural Communities (Joe Woody) (PDF)

Central Appalachian Network: Building a Regional Network for Asset-Based Economic Development (Kathlyn Terry) (PDF)

WNC Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project (Erica Anderson) (PDF)

WNC Forestry Success Stories (link to videos on YouTube)

Appalachian Prosperity Project (Skip Skinner and Marcia Quesenberry) (PDF)

The plan’s objectives include embracing sustainability and linking it to other concepts, something that Pruitt said is new for Alabama. He also said they had an understanding of what was happening in the region, but didn’t know how Alabama fit into the global economy. The Center for Business and Economic Research helped the AARC form the guiding principles that call for global awareness and regional competitiveness, finding that foreign direct investment, exports, and transportation were important elements of the state’s role in the larger economy.

Foreign direct investment has greatly increased in Alabama since Mercedes Benz opened an assembly plant in the state in 1993. Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai followed, increasing automotive manufacturers’ presence and contributing to a total of 360 foreign-based plants today, with a book value of $22 billion. This level of investment has impacted the composition of Alabama’s exports (which total $11.2 billion), with automotive and other transportation equipment as the largest category, followed by chemicals and minerals.

This, of course, has several implications for Alabama’s transportation system. The Port of Mobile, on the Gulf of Mexico, is the ninth largest port in the U.S. for cargo volume and the 25th largest for container volume. The state also has 11 inland docks and a major air freight terminal in Huntsville with a large intermodal facility. A new intermodal facility will soon open near Birmingham. Compared to other southeastern states, Alabama has a relatively low reliance on truck traffic. Although truck congestion may not be a problem, increasing general congestion can still cause problems for truck traffic. Pruitt expressed the need for the state to make rail improvements; the north-south rail corridor is almost at capacity.

The Alabama CEDS identifies 31 transportation projects that are key from a statewide perspective, 25 of which are highway projects and the remainder air and rail. Seven projects have a statewide significance, 12 regional, and four local. The transportation element of the CEDS emphasizes moving people and goods, maximizing capital investments, and making healthy communities while incorporating sustainability. Click here for more information about the Alabama CEDS.

A participant asked how the presenters see transportation planning evolving in their agencies in the next months to years. Pruitt mentioned the new transportation bill and making sure transportation officials and other stakeholders are aware of the CEDS and the 31 projects it indentified. Ouellette said that transportation will continue to play a significant role in the planning process, especially after seeing an unexpected level of private sector investment following the public investment in rail infrastructure. Livingston referred to trying the change the conversation, for example using the phrase “mobility planning” to encourage more collaboration and participation by groups not traditionally involved in transportation planning. He also sees a role for increasing use of technology. The Connecticut Office of Policy and Management has recognized the growing importance of public-private partnerships and will hold a conference on the topic. Seto said that transportation planning at all levels will remain a top concern in rural communities. Bair mentioned the implications of a “changing energy future” on transportation networks.

A final question asked if the projects involving partnerships encountered skepticism about the probability of their success. The most skepticism on the northern Maine rail project was from the private sector, particularly the former operator MMA that did not expect the state and regional organizations to mobilize in the way they did. Ouellette said they were able to “meet this challenge right on” and serve as a good demonstration of teamwork. Constant engagement in eastern Connecticut helped to avoid the sentiment of people simply showing up at one meeting for a grant. Livingston explained how valuing participants’ time and commitment was important for sustaining interest.

Return to Overview

2011 NADO Annual Training Conference

Regional CEDS and EDD Innovation Learning Lab (Part 1) Americana Salon 1
Growing Regional Innovation-Based Economies: The Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network This special workshop will explore an innovative partnership focused on increasing the number of globally competitive products and services produced in Kansas. As part of the Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network (KOIN), Kansas State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute, the state’s EDA Economic Development Districts, and other partners are working to create an environment that transcends geographic isolation, discovers new markets, innovates openly, and fosters global competitiveness to be at the intersection of great ideas and new opportunities.
• John Cyr, Kansas Association of Regional Development
Organizations
• Brad Kramer, Advanced Manufacturing Institute,
Kansas State University

Cyr and Kramer Presentation Slides

Regional CEDS and EDD Innovation Learning Lab (Part 2)
Regional Asset-Based Cluster Strategies: Mobilize Maine Mobilize Maine is a statewide asset-based approach to economic development centered on private sector engagement. Mobilize Maine takes a bottom-up approach to identifying
assets, including linking traditional workforce development and economic development planning. This process, coordinated by the state’s seven EDA Economic Development Districts (EDDs), emphasizes the regional nature of Maine’s economy. Representatives from two EDD pilot regions will discuss the planning and implementation processes that their organizations followed, including strategies to engage the private sector and align federal workforce and economic development resources.
• Michael Eisensmith, Northern Maine Development
Commission
• Elizabeth Sutherland, Sutherland Weston Marketing
Communications (ME)
• Moderator: Bob Thompson, Androscoggin Valley COG (ME)

Eisensmith Northern Maine

Eisensmith Eastern Maine

Regional CEDS and EDD Innovation Learning Lab  (Part 3)Assessing Your Regional Innovation Assets
Entrepreneurship. Technology. Innovation. Commercialization. These concepts are fundamental drivers behind the Regional Innovation Acceleration Network (RIAN). Funded by the U.S. Economic Development
Administration (EDA) and supported by the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), RIAN is a virtual networking tool that bridges together people, ideas, and resources as the basis for economic growth and development. Learn about the core principles of RIAN and receive in-depth training on the RIAN asset toolkit and how it can benefit your region.
• Mark Skinner, SSTI and Regional Innovation
Acceleration Network
• Moderator: TBA