The social, cultural, and economic transitions in rural areas across the globe lead us to critique the traditional "top-down" or "bottom-up" distinction as being outdated for contemporary rural policy. In Europe and the United States in particular, high rates of counterurbanization heighten the need for new ways of thinking…

Data on rural-urban differences in access to telecommunications technology suggest that the U.S. "digital divide" is diminishing. However, major shortcomings in telecommunications infrastructure persist in rural America, and more serious barriers to rural development are related to human capital shortages. These may be resolved in some…

During the last decade, there has been an internal migration of Latinos to the Southeast. Attracted by the rural South's healthy economy, the Hispanic population in the South is projected to double by 2025. Most in-migrants are seeking permanent rather than seasonal employment. With an increased Hispanic population comes increased purchasing…

Much of today's rural America will be the fastest growing part of the nation in the next half century. The spread of large cities and the creation of new ones, the addition of almost 30 million senior citizens, and immigration into rural areas are powerful forces contributing to the development of rural America. Rural areas are competitive in a…