In a recent blog post, my colleague Colt Jensen stated, “Definitions are not just academic. They shape who gets served, what gets funded, and how success is measured.” He was speaking about how understanding specific contexts and definitions of being a “rural place” is critical for community and economic...
This post, co-authored by Crista Cuccaro and Tyler Mulligan, also appeared on the Coates’ Canons Local Government Law Blog here. Increasingly, local governments engaged in economic development discussions—particularly involving data centers and other large-scale projects—are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) before substantive conversations can begin. While such...
Community and economic development practitioners working in rural places often run into a deceptively simple problem before they ever pick a strategy, write a grant, or define a service area: deciding what counts as “rural” in the first place. It seems like it should be straightforward. We all know...
The Chief Economic Correspondent for The New York Times, Ben Casselman, recently posted a video piece on the economic condition of the average American worker over the past few years (2024-25), where we saw “slowing inflation and relatively solid wage growth.” However, he notes a recent reversal. Inflation has been...
Two Persistent Myths About Rural North Carolina, and Why They Matter for Community Economic Development Community development and economic development professionals working in rural North Carolina are often asked to solve complex problems with limited tools. But one of the biggest barriers to effective rural development is not funding...
Understanding why workforce housing is becoming a key investment opportunity.
Exploring the long-term benefits of structured real estate investments.
A closer look at one of Las Vegas’ fastest-growing submarkets.
In a previous blog, I explored the unique challenges of implementing performance management within community development. I highlighted two key factors that contribute to these difficulties. First, community development services are not consistently structured across local governments. They may operate at the county or municipal level, exist as independent...
An extensive study just released by Opportunity Insights at Harvard University is drawing significant attention to the impact of certain integration-oriented housing policies – specifically the concept of “moving to opportunity,” including a editorial in The New York Times, and a featured article in The Atlantic. The programs at...