Tax increment financing (TIF)--an economic (re)development tool originally designed for urban cities--has been available to rural communities for decades. This is the first study to focus solely on TIF in rural school districts, to examine TIF effects on school districts' property tax base and rates, and to conduct event-study estimations of TIF…

Can reading a book about a boy and a hen in Ghana make a difference to fifth graders in their Michigan community? Indeed, it can, and in myriad ways. At a suburban elementary school in Michigan, the authors introduced fifth graders to economic concepts in a project-based learning (PBL) unit. They began by reading aloud and discussing the picture…

The modernist project foresaw no role for small farms, but this can no longer be regarded as axiomatic as neoliberalism enters what Peck et al. call its "zombie phase". This paper asks what contribution small farms in the uplands can make to societies' goals, what role they might play in the sustainability of rural communities in such…

Cooperative behaviors among private investors, local entities and a county can create significant efficiencies and resources to achieve a countywide vision. A county willing to take on this leadership role can provide technology and creates incentives for cooperation, supports opportunistic action, and regulates a balance between private sector…

In 1994 the Ford Foundation launched the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) as a "national demonstration project to help community colleges in distressed regions move their people and communities toward prosperity. It challenged community colleges to become catalysts for economic development and supported aggressive efforts to increase…

Five panelists discuss how small businesses can acquire seed capital by considering venture; capital's role in the financing of business start-ups, using local banks as sources of advice and community support as well as funds for new entrepreneurs in rural areas, and investigating states' roles in supporting new ventures. (NEC)

Five panelists discuss alternatives to venture capital sources for Appalachian business expansion, new institutions created or supported by state and local governments to provide capital, and how businesses can best position themselves to take advantage of all capital sources. (NEC)

Education is a necessary investment in the modern state since it is the key to overall national development. Its two parts consist of formal and out-of-school education. The first includes the regular classroom--primary, secondary, technical, and university education. The second consists of nonformal education and training. Economic development is…

Case studies demonstrate four capital packaging approaches: a comprehensive statewide enterprise program for Pennsylvania; a county-based industrial development fund in Chautauqua County, New York; an employee buyout in Saratoga Springs, New York; and establishment of a small venture capital company in the Kentucky Highlands with Office of…

Argues that state government must take a strong lead in promoting rural development. Justification for such a role includes improving the efficiency of the state's economy; making full use of fixed investments; improving rural-urban equity; preserving a rural lifestyle; and responding effectively to population density differences between rural and…

Argument was for the importance of community development corporations (CDCs) as both tools for rural development planning and mechanisms for alleviating problems and economic impoverishment. (JC)

The consistent economic growth of the Georgia community is the result of careful planning over a long period. Successful community development efforts have resulted in a new regional library, an airport, a vocational technical school, an industrial park, and increased industrialization. (SB)

Problems of rural development in less developed countries and ways of organizing a foreign aid program are examined. (MF)

The purpose of this guidebook is to help elected leaders of small towns and communities stretch their investments when matching funds are required to compete for a grant or to pay for development costs above the grant award itself. The federal "small cities" Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is used as an example throughout the…

The purpose of the two-day hearings (Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas presiding) was to provide a forum to examine the whole range of rural economic problems and to educate members of the House and Senate as to the seriousness and need for comprehensive rural development programs. The proceedings contain remarks and prepared statements by the…