In 2022, the Center on Rural Innovation received a Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop innovation district placemaking plans for three rural communities: Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Rutland, Vermont; and Selma, Alabama.
Over the course of 18 months, CORI facilitated workshops, assisted community members in cultivating “lighter, quicker, cheaper” (LQC) placemaking actions, and developed plans that illustrate how a variety of small, medium, and large actions taken by community members and leaders alike can foster a thriving downtown that holds opportunities for everyone who call it home, including entrepreneurs.
You can explore, or download, the plans for each community below:
Pine Bluff, Arkansas:
CORI_Pine Bluff Innovation District Placemaking PlanRutland, Vermont:
CORI_ Rutland Innovation District Placemaking PlanSelma, Alabama:
CORI_Selma Innovation District Placemaking PlanInterested in learning more?
Get in touch with our team to learn more about CORI’s placemaking work in rural communities, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on developments in Pine Bluff, Rutland, Selma, and other members of CORI’s Rural Innovation Network, which spans dozens of communities from coast to coast.