Top 10 planning practices for making things happen in rural and small towns 

 CT.org…The following article offers ways for rural towns to fight regression and stabilize their social and economic systems. However, the presumption is that rural towns have the resources, economic and civic, to activate the needed actions. Free-standing, rural communities not connected to a larger metro area have few options for arresting their decline; but, they do have a few. 

Jim Segedy, Ph.D., FAICP, quoted below, concluded by offering six ingredients for successful rural and small town development in addition to the ten items from Schindler: 

• Think and act locally 
• Think and act creatively 
• Close the loop 
• Build linkages 
• Create places for people (placemaking) 
• Celebrate character and identity 

As with redevelopment in larger towns, the process starts when someone cares to change the status quo; someone has the “want to” to get started, to find like-minded citizen and to engage in forward thinking. Small communities becoming part of something bigger seems a fruitful path [Item #10]. Enhancing existing assets including agricultural and natural resources provide economic benefits [Items #3 and #4]. Participation, patience and persistence seem to be essential.