smart + connected communities

location
the state of iowa
size
56,272 square miles
timeline
2017 - 2018
status
pilot study
contributions
mapping + data collection | spatial analysis
recognition
llsamp-iinspire: invited student presenter

research at the capitol: invited student presenter

research completed at Iowa State University

Why do some communities still thrive as they lose population while others diminish?

Many American small towns and rural communities have been in decline since the 1980s. In the Midwest, most communities have experienced this through shrinking population, an exodus of young people, job losses, and aging infrastructure. Evidence shows that these trends have spanned several decades and are unlikely to be reversed. Yet, the research on small and rural communities has focused primarily on documenting and observing aspects of decline, or promoting unproven growth strategies, rather than understanding how communities can protect quality of life and community infrastructure while they shrink. This project, funded by the Nationl Science Foundation, aims to fill this gap through the development of a new shrink-smart concept.

Over the span of 2 years, 30 rural towns thrroughout the state of Iowa were selected based on population and shrinkage criteria. Towns were mapped at the state, regional, and town scale, identifying factors that result in an improved quality of life as thier populaitons decline. As part of a multidisiniplinary reserch team spread across two universitites, responisibilities included date collection and visualization, aiding in spatial analysis and pattern recognition, on site interviews, and presenting the work and findings. Since the initial pilot study, the team has recieved additional grants to expand the research to different states, and the methodoloy which was developed by the included maps has been integrated into Iowa State University’s Community and Regional Planning cirriculum.