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APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
@apa-star.bsky.social
We're small town & rural planners, in the US and across the world.
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Rural Entrepreneurs Aren’t Taking No for an Economic Answer

The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought….
#SmallTowns #rural #econdev

medium.com/small-towns-...
December 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
New findings from an RTPI survey of more than 2,500 planners reveal that 20% of respondents in the UK expect to leave the profession within the next three years – with no clear pipeline to replace them.

Read the State of the Profession report:
https://www.rtpi.org.uk/stateoftheprofession
November 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Happy Thanksgiving!!
November 27, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Solar companies have figured out how to mix sheep grazing and power production. This company is about to make a push to do it with cows, with huge growth potential.
Can Cows and Solar Power Coexist? We’re About to Find Out
This story was originally published by Inside Climate News. It is unusual to have a utility-scale solar array in Kentucky, and even more unusual that the grounds crew here is a live-in flock of more than a thousand sheep. On a recent afternoon, the sheep lounged beneath the shade created by solar panels, supervised by three dogs: Honey, Junior and Roxy.
dailyyonder.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
The Decoy Bar
Webster, SD
November 18, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
It's the first day of #GeographyAwarenessWeek! How’re you celebrating? Let us know and check out over fifty events happening worldwide on our StoryMap. buff.ly/bKhXzko

#GeoWeek2025 #GeoSky #GISChat
November 17, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Jon Lauk, University of South Dakota, opening The Lost Region Recovery Project conference on #Midwest Studies in Sioux Falls. Sponsored by Middle West Review & National Endowment for the Humanities.
November 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Save some green while getting some green inspiration. ALL Island Press books are 50% off until 11/16! Islandpress.org/half
November 16, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
One of the neatest early examples of pre-fabricated housing in the U.S. were kit homes, most famously made by Sears...people would order their home from the catalog and the parts would be delivered by rail and they would assemble them on-site.

www.searshouses.com
SearsHouses.com
The National List
www.searshouses.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Take the 2025 Climate Planning Survey by the Great Plains Institute, APA Sustainable Communities Division, Ester A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund. Results will be used to develop guidance & model resources to help planners & sustainability staff with climate issues. www.surveymonkey.com/r/YB7D3L6
2025 Climate Planning Survey
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
www.surveymonkey.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Turning theory into action: Rural towns like Hinesburg, VT & Davis, CA show how smart zoning puts big ideas into practice—blending growth, farmland, and community into real results. Ideas on how local values shape better land use here: jcshepard.com/2025/11/rura... #RuralZoning #Praxis #SmartGrowth
November 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
One of the draws of homesteading and tiny house living is learning to live off the land. To grow your own food supply, it’s necessary to first learn the requirements of planting homestead gardens.🥕🌽🫛

Here are the basics: thetinylife.com/basic-tips-f...
October 31, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
[Registration Is Now Open!] Join Us for the 2025 World Town Planning Day Conference
Theme: With Planning We Can!
Date: Friday, November 7
Register here!: planning.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
October 8, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Join the RTPI's #WorldTownPlanningDay 2025 online programme, which brings together case studies from the UK and around the world, fostering the exchange of ideas globally.

👉Register for the free webinars at:
www.rtpi.org.uk/wtpd

This year's theme is 'With Planning We Can'
November 3, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
US Census Releases Most Accurate, Granular Housing Data Yet - h/t Niskanen Center
US Census Releases Most Accurate, Granular Housing Data Yet - h/t Niskanen Center
A new measurement tool eliminates the inaccuracies that have plagued data about housing supply, helping governments more clearly understand how housing policies are impacting local needs.
dlvr.it
November 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Webinar: Zoning for our Future: Solar, Windfarms, EV, and Manufactured/ Modular Homes
Friday October 31, 2025 | Noon CDT
www.ohioplanning.org/aws/APAOH/pt...
#zoning #wind #solar #EVs #housing
October 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
💡October is Energy Awareness Month!

Supercharge your awareness and understanding with our monthly book bundle. Get all 4 of these energy titles for just $85 when you use code BUNDLE at checkout on islandpress.org/bundle
October 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Checkout Garrett Stritzel's amazing project, Rural Justice, which won the 2025 James Segedy Honor Award for Small Town and Rural Planner

StaR members log on to d/l the STaR News and read about it:
www.planning.org/divisions/sm...
#SmallTownRural #smalltown #rural #planning #awards
October 20, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Rural America is blending solar with farming—agrivoltaics means clean energy, more income for farmers, and thriving pollinators. Smart zoning helps landowners & communities benefit together. See how solar & ag can work side by side: jcshepard.com/2025/10/sola...

#Rural #Agrivoltaics #Solar #Energy
October 19, 2025 at 1:41 PM
STaR John Keller Planning Initiative Awards for 2025.
Checkout these amazing award-winning projects, from Michigan, Ohio, and Wyoming.

STaR members, log on & d/l your Fall newsletter with all the details: www.planning.org/divisions/sm...
#SmallTownRural #planning #awards
October 18, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
#Population change projections by state, 2025-2050.
These are matter of debate. could all turn out different. In partic., climate chg could diminish growth of FL & SW USA states.
Credits: proj'ns of @weldoncoopercenter.bsky.social, graphic design by @visualcap.bsky.social
October 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Fall News highlights STaR Award Winners
Brownwood, TX Downtown Plan Vernon Dienes Plan <50k Honor
Longmeadow, MA Climate Resilience Plan Vernon Dienes Plan <50k Honor
Burwell, NE Comprehensive Plan Vernon Dienes Plan <50k Merit
Greencastle DePauw Master Plan (Indiana) Vernon Dienes Plan <50k Merit
October 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
#SmallTownRural planners are often urbanists--small towns are often walkable, mixed-use communities built on a flexible grid. We just don't get all Up-in-the-Sky about it.
March 2, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Reviving #rural America with clean power! 🌱 Discover how local energy and community projects can spark a new renaissance. Check out this insightful book review from the Spring 2024 @apa-star.bsky.social newsletter: jcshepard.com/2025/10/rura...
#SmallTownRural #RenewableEnergy #wind #solar #policy
October 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Nine Meals from Anarchy--what happens if your local food supply stopped? Local farms & smart planning build resilience. Nebraska 2019 floods taught hard lessons. Prep matters—families & towns need to act now.

Read: ruralresurrection.com/nine-meals-f...
STaR Member d/l the newsletter for more!
October 11, 2025 at 3:44 PM