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Rural Community Sites

Contaminated or potentially contaminated sites, once thought to be limited to urban and suburban areas, are also present in rural areas. Rural communities considering revitalization can face many unique obstacles. These obstacles may include:
  1. A remote and rural geographic location often inhibits economic growth, making it difficult to recruit new businesses, retain existing businesses, and to justify funding revitalization.
  2. Costs associated with cleanup and revitalization often far exceed the costs of developing abundant green space.
  3. Absence of funds necessary to recruit expertise required to manage a revitalization project.
  4. Lack of a formal self-help network of other rural development practitioners involved in revitalization to share experiences and exchange information.
However, strategies for rural revitalization have been developed. Recent rural revitalization success can be attributed to focused attention from state brownfields programs, rural community development research and awareness training conducted by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) as well as integration of Smart Growth. The NADO research foundation provides training, information resources, and representation for regional development organizations serving small metropolitan and rural communities.
Smart Growth is a constantly evolving approach to land development and redevelopment that promotes a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational uses; preserves green space and working landscapes; and provides a variety of transportation options. Smart Growth is a network of partners including environmental groups, historic preservation organizations, professional organizations, developers, real estate interests, and local and state government entities. Typically, Smart Growth is achieved through collaborative planning, mixed-use development, downtown revitalization, and open-space conservation. However, rural communities can adapt Smart Growth strategies and modify them to revitalize small towns; link natural resource protection with development; maintain working landscapes; and coordinate regional development. Smart Growth strategies partnered with existing research and training conducted by the NADO and other organizations demonstrate how resources for rural development have become increasingly available.
Web links with further information on revitalization and rural communities are listed in the Links to Resources for Rural Community Sites Exhibit.

Exhibit: Links to Resources for Rural Community Sites

Organization
Topic
NADO
Rural Brownfields Awareness Project and Reports
NADO
Brownfields Resouces for Rural and Small Communities
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Financing Brownfield Development in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Smart Growth at the Frontier: Strategies and Resources for Rural Communities
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Rural Community Assistance Programs
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Rural Community Assistance Programs
Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities
Hazardous Substance Research Center (HSRC) Home Page
TAB General Information Brochure
USDA
Rural Development Home Page
University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management
Farmland Preservation: The Benefits of Saving Our Agricultural Land and Resources
University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management
Dealing with Growth: Alternatives to Large Lot Zoning on the Urban Fringe
University of Missouri Extension
Community Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Program
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