Top Ten Ways To Reinvent Rural Regions, The Main Street Economist, Center for the Study of Rural America

All across the nation, rural regions are on a quickening quest to reinvent their economies. The past year has witnessed a flurry of regions contacting the Center for the Study of Rural America about new efforts to spark new economic growth—from the coastal bend in Texas to the Mississippi River bend in Iowa. The push behind the widespread quest comes from many directions, although globalization of markets is a common driving force. In some cases, factory closings are focusing attention on new economic engines. In others, a deepening fiscal crisis in state and local governments imperils new investments in rural regions that need them the most. And in still other cases, the ongoing exodus of young talent leaves regions wondering about their future. CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF RURAL AMERICA Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City