Challenges & Opportunities in Rural Planning Michael Stumpf, AICP, CEcD R.A. Smith & Associates, Inc.

A Quick Overview

Population Decline Losing people Losing jobs Aging population Losing services and resources Health care and hospitals Almost every small town on the plains

Losing people

Losing jobs

Aging population

Losing services and resources

Health care and hospitals

Population Growth Regional services Employment Retirement Hays, Kansas Mitchell, South Dakota Scottsbluff, Nebraska Dickinson, North Dakota

Regional services

Employment

Retirement

Growth Magnets Higher education Federal labs or installations Tourism Billings, Montana Manhattan, Kansas Black Hills area, South Dakota

Higher education

Federal labs or installations

Tourism

Oil and Gas Exploration Boom and bust cycles Transient worker needs Environmental issues Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming Nebraska Kansas Colorado Utah

Boom and bust cycles

Transient worker needs

Environmental issues

Biotechnology – Corn Refining Growing demand for biofuels High corn prices Spin-off industry (meat to plastics) Energy, trucking, railroads Attracting employees Overbuilding? Changing technology The Corn Belt: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana Also: South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas

Growing demand for biofuels

High corn prices

Spin-off industry (meat to plastics)

Energy, trucking, railroads

Attracting employees

Overbuilding?

Changing technology

Wind Energy Nearly cost competitive Wind is a fixed resource Transmission requirements Bird blenders Neighbors’ objections Colorado Wyoming South Dakota Iowa Kansas

Nearly cost competitive

Wind is a fixed resource

Transmission requirements

Bird blenders

Neighbors’ objections

Railroads Laramie, Wyoming Alliance, Nebraska Huron, South Dakota - Congested ports Track utilization Car shortage

- Congested ports

Track utilization

Car shortage

Manufacturing Access to markets Access to labor Low wage, low skill jobs Overseas competition Some stand-outs Fort Dodge, Iowa Sidney, Nebraska Brookings, South Dakota Idaho Falls, Idaho

Access to markets

Access to labor

Low wage, low skill jobs

Overseas competition

Some stand-outs

Retailing Wal-Mart on the Plains 312 stores in region 60 rural counties – 19% 99 micropolitan – 32% 153 metropolitan – 49% 207 competitors (Shopko, Target, Kmart)

Tourism Character Congestion Cost of living Community Colorado mountain towns

Character

Congestion

Cost of living

Community

Agriculture Consolidation and corporate farming Crop Reserve Program Support services Agri-tourism

Consolidation and corporate farming

Crop Reserve Program

Support services

Agri-tourism

Cattle Range Environmental degradation Tradition and livelihood Recreation Colorado Utah Wyoming

Environmental degradation

Tradition and livelihood

Recreation

Housing Too few buyers Construction and renovation dynamics Inadequate infrastructure “ Free lot” strategy

Too few buyers

Construction and renovation dynamics

Inadequate infrastructure

“ Free lot” strategy

Immigration Hispanic immigration Courting immigrants Lexington, Nebraska Ulysses, Kansas Fargo, North Dakota

Hispanic immigration

Courting immigrants

Conflict Natives Old-timer and new-comer expectations Property rights Social change and power shifts

Natives

Old-timer and new-comer expectations

Property rights

Social change and power shifts

Planning in Rural Places