Effective rural development planning depends on facts and analysis based, not on rural averages, but on the diverse social and economic structure of rural America. Programs tailored to particular types of rural economies may be more effective than generalized programs. Because of their unique characteristics, government policies and economic…

Four major concerns are currently shaping national rural development policy: (1) rural population and employment are increasingly diverse but physical isolation and low population density limit essential public services; (2) many geographically concentrated rural communities continue to have high rates of very low income; (3) rural governments are…

The New Rural Society Concept, which urges establishment of a more balanced rural-urban population distribution in response to the interdependent rural-urban energy crisis, is explicated in this report on a model project initiated in 1972 in 10 northeastern Connecticut townships. The following are cited as major project objectives: (1) to obtain…