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…

A study of characteristics and motives of migrants to the Northern Great Plains surveyed 1,590 new residents in Nebraska and North Dakota. New arrivals were younger and had higher educational levels than existing residents. Most often cited reasons for moving were desire to be closer to relatives, safety concerns, and quality of the natural…

From 1940 to 1970, the United States was characterized by both rapid population growth and rapid urbanization. However, in the 1970's, both of these trends have diminished. A decline in the birth rate has brought lower overall growth--with the decline being the greatest in the major metropolitan areas. There is firm evidence of shift in population…

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…

African nations have been experiencing rapid rates of urbanization accompanied by serious problems of urban unemployment due to the rate of rural-urban migration and the lack of an adequate understanding of the migration process for economic policy formulation. The aim of this paper was to review the present knowledge of African rural-urban…

Economic problems in rural and urban settings are discussed in this book. Central cities, suburbs, and rural areas are examined with particular emphasis on problems and opportunities in the South and in the Appalachian region. The regional commissions (the Ozarks Region, New England, etc.) and the role of the Economic Development Administration…

Analysis of census data indicates major population, industrial, and occupational changes occurred in many of Texas' 254 counties from 1960 to 1980. While 103 counties experienced rapid population growth by both natural and migration, patterns of change were dissimilar. Population grew steadily in metropolitan counties over the two decades.…

This paper discusses gross economic and demographic trends in rural and urban America during the past 30 years, the kinds of competitive advantages enjoyed by urban and rural regions, and insights offered by the new regional economics concerning exploitation of those advantages. The importance of agriculture has declined in rural areas, while that…

Employment problems in Africa were examined with special emphasis on rural employment and migration within the context of overall economic development. A framework was provided for analyzing rural employment in development; that framework was used to analyze empirical information from Africa; and theoretical issues were raised in analyzing rural…