The Center uses the lens of spatial organization and design to organize and put into practice the work of other scientific and design disciplines in our mission to identify and solve rural issues and problems.

As a result of projects at a wide range of scales, we have found that economic development is more possible and has greater potential when land assets are looked at regionally. We define regional as any land area that is defined by a common landscape with shared human and natural assets and economic opportunities, be it a multi-county or multi-state scale. We believe the regional perspective is equally important to foster collaboration and cooperation across jurisdictions to address global issues such as climate change, renewable energy, water resource protection, and food security.

"Rural Design is above all a vision for a sustainable rural future—a vision that provides a way of thinking about rural regions and their relationships to the states, the nation, and the world. It outlines a rural design methodology that can help bridge the gap between environmental science and public policy and accomplish what Joan Nassauer and Paul Opdam wrote in ‘Design in Science: Extending the Landscape Ecology Paradigm’ (Landscape Ecology 23:6), ‘design is a common ground for scientists and practitioners to bring scientific knowledge into decision making about landscape change.’ Rural design, as a problem-solving process, is a proven method for resolving issues and making wise land use and architectural decisions that protects the rural environment and promotes economic development as it enhances rural quality of life." Rural Design: A New Discipline, Dewey Thorbeck

 

 

 

Definitions of rural on the web

 

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