The Community & Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) launched a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD) to create a free digital toolkit to help rural leaders build placemaking plans in small towns and communities across America. 

In March 2022, USDA announced a $260,000 cooperative agreement with CEDIK to expand access to placemaking resources that will create more livable and vibrant communities for people in rural America. The funds were used to engage Cedik in the development of a digital placemaking toolkit and co-host with USDA a national virtual placemaking workshop. Placemaking is a collaborative planning and technical assistance process that helps rural community leaders develop plans to create quality places where people will want to live, work, visit, learn and explore. 

Approximately 1500 participants from all US states, tribal nations, and territories registered for the virtual conference. “When rural people thrive, all America thrives. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring rural Americans can build a good life and succeed in the communities they love,” Under-Secretary of Rural Development Torres Small said. “That takes investment in the physical, digital, and social infrastructure that builds and strengthens successful communities. Physical infrastructure like roads, bridges, dams, and waterways, provides a foundation for safety and opportunity. High-speed internet and other digital infrastructure, rural people can connect to learning, job opportunities and markets around the world. When combined with social infrastructure, like good schools, health clinics, public parks, community organizations, and cultural venues, rural places can thrive. USDA is a proud partner to rural communities investing in their futures.”

 Through this interactive toolkit, rural leaders can conduct assessments to determine their community’s readiness for placemaking activities. This toolkit was based upon case studies in Kentucky, but will benefit all US states, tribal nations, and territories through this cooperative agreement. The toolkit includes examples of placemaking projects based on a community’s readiness that rural leaders can replicate in their communities.

The virtual conference allowed for opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and engagement. Some outcomes from the conference include:

•1814 profile views within app
•93 photos shared; 49 business cards exchanged
•1514 poll results received
•65 discussion topics posted
•107 meet ups organized
•101 questions asked

The toolkit is available online to help rural leaders identify national and regional technical assistance providers, funders and resource guides to implement rural placemaking activities in their communities. Regional and national technical assistance providers and funding organizations may request to be added to the toolkit’s directory. 

 For more information, visit: Rural America Placemaking Toolkit (ruralplacemaking.com).