While dominant narratives often use “rural” as a synonym for “white,” the 2020 Census population data provided a more intricate picture that binary thinking can’t capture: The future of rural America is increasingly marked by demographic, regional, and economic diversity. DW Rowlands and Hanna Love argue that rather than trying to pigeonhole rural communities into an antiquated framework, our policies need to reflect the diversity that is both their present and future.
A growing number of cities around the world are reinventing their neighborhoods through Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) that transform everyday experiences into fun learning opportunities. Improving and scaling these efforts requires a clear understanding of how PLL installations support educational, social, and civic outcomes. To that end, Brookings authors have developed a Playful Learning Landscapes metrics framework that can help local leaders define and evaluate the effects of PLL on children and communities.
States can dramatically affect places’ economic, physical, social, and civic conditions by granting new authorities, making investments, enabling collaboration, and modelling their own behavior. Joanne Kim and John D. Ratliff highlight how the state of Michigan is employing place-based strategies to help communities lift their economies, improve their built environments, and strengthen their capacity to design and implement placemaking efforts.
The recovery of rural America. Building an equitable recovery requires understanding and investing in rural communities that have been grappling with depopulation and disinvestment. Urban Institute’s new tool defines rural America by community assets, not deficits. This typology provides new insight into how rural communities across the nation have varied, unique assets and resources that can be leveraged to foster opportunity, prosperity, and well-being for more people. Rural hospitals, for example, can play a critical role in their communities: they are well-positioned to help address social determinants of health because they often have close relationships with community members and knowledge of their needs.
How to implement place-based strategies. Well-designed place-based policies can help build safe, vibrant, and inclusive communities. However, as our colleagues and other experts have pointed out, creative, multi-dimensional strategies are often hampered by governance challenges. While there is no magic wand to fix “delivery crises”—particularly in addressing multi-dimensional challenges like homelessness—collaborative governance that deeply engages community-based organizations can improve program effectiveness and outcomes.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here.
The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
