This collection of 12 case studies puts to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea — small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. The Menominee Tribe in rural Wisconsin partnered with local schools and health providers to help residents move around its sparse reservation while maintaining good stewardship of the land.

This collection of 12 case studies puts to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea — small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. In Huron, South Dakota, many older residents are able to access groceries and services because of People’s Transit, and the town today is home to its first-ever transit center.

What does “livability” mean in a smaller town or city? Some would have us believe that livability is a foreign concept for our small towns or rural areas or that it’s exclusively an urban concept. The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. For the next two weeks, we’re going to publish one of a collection of 12 case studies each day that provides examples of how small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities.

In this short video, Former Meridian, Mississippi Mayor and current T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith talks about the project to build a new multimodal train station in downtown Meridian when he was mayor, proposed cuts to Amtrak that happened shortly afterward, and how a few key Senators championed funding for Amtrak after seeing how ordinary people outside of D.C. depended on that service.

Earlier this week, we hosted 15 of our partners from rural areas across America for a two day “fly-in” focusing on the transportation needs of rural areas and small towns. We hosted a briefing at the Capitol in the morning and then these partners from all over the country, from Virginia to California, took the [...]

Tuesday’s Congressional lobby day hosted by Transportation for America on the needs of rural and small-town America displayed a growing urgency for transportation options, livable communities and good access to jobs and opportunity — as great as one would find in any of our nation’s urban and metropolitan centers.

When the Center for Neighborhood Technology released its revised Housing and Transportation Index last week, much of the focus naturally tilts toward cities due to the measurement of metropolitan areas. But CNT’s rural companion report on transportation costs in less-populated areas deserves ample attention as well. More than 1.6 million rural households do not have access to a car, making routine trips a strain on a family’s time and budget. For those who do drive, high gas prices take a big chunk out of monthly incomes.