Economic Development

What (and Who) Counts? Defining Rural Development Success

June 6, 2022  • Community Strategies Group

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There are no easy solutions for the many challenges that rural Americans face, but it’s clear that rural communities themselves must drive change and transformation. 

Brian Dabson, Field Perspectives Series Editor, brings together four well-respected rural development practitioners to share their distinct perspectives on how we can better define rural development success. 

  • Shanna Ratner shares the wealth creation framework as a way of achieving realignment, economic inclusivity, and resilience at a regional scale. 
  • Ines Polonius highlights the possibilities of “Community-Centered Measurement,” which focuses on locally defined progress, equity participation, unique place & context, and relativity. 
  • Mark Gabriel Little notes the importance of measuring increases in power — especially shifts in political and financial power for BIPOC communities. 
  • Anita Brown-Graham examines the health and wealth of networks for improving educational achievement and equitable development.