Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Kentucky

Potential Impacts of a Renewable and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard in Kentucky

The study estimates the impacts of a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard on Kentucky’s portfolio of electricity resources, on average electric bills, and on the state’s economy. The report was produced by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. for the Mountain…


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Fossil-Free Investment for a Just Appalachian Transition: Obstacles and Opportunities

This paper by the Croatan Institute was commissioned by the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). The paper addresses the effect that the growing movement for divestment from fossil fuels and investment in more sustainable…


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Community Development v.44, i.5, “Shared measures to achieve shared outcomes: lessons from Central Appalachia”

This paper introduces a wealth creation approach to development, and describes how the Central Appalachian Network has used an outcome-based measurement process to define and measure progress toward shared goals for seven forms of community wealth.…


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Local Economy Journal v.29, n.4-5, “Linking rural assets to market demand: Wealth creation value chains in rural America”

Rural regions across the United States have struggled to implement economic development strategies that build local assets and create wealth that contributes to sustained prosperity. This article describes a systems framework that enables rural areas…


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Branding Study for Appalachian Local Food Economies

This report, produced for the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) in partnership with the MIT “Keeping Wealth Local” Clinic, explores examples of place-based food brands and offers recommendations for CAN and other Central Appalachian organizations interested…


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The Forests and the Wood Products Sector in Appalachian Kentucky: What We Heard and What We Learned

What are the opportunities and challenges for sustainable rural development in the forests and wood products sector of Appalachian Kentucky? The participants in the Ford Foundation Regional Learning Project Team engaged in a discovery project, interviewing…


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How Rural is Central Appalachia?

Before we can measure rural economic activity in an area, we need a clear picture and understanding of how geographic areas are defined as rural. This paper explores several methods for measuring the rural character of a region and uses each method…


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Measuring Community Wealth

What do we mean by "community wealth" and how would we know it if we saw it? In "Measuring Community Wealth," real world data from Appalachian Kentucky is used to illustrate how examples of six forms of wealth (individual, intellectual, natural, built,…
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Measuring Community Wealth: Appendices

This paper provides detailed analysis of the data from Appalachian Kentucky used in "Measuring Community Wealth." This information includes county-by-county rates of healthy weight people and the financial costs of obesity; broadband access and computer…
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Case Studies: Prosperous Counties in Appalachia

This paper identifies rural counties in Appalachia which have sustained or attained relatively strong levels of prosperity over the course of the decades from 1980-2000. Statistical analysis of these counties lays the groundwork for future detailed…


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Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises: A Case Study

FAHE is, arguably, the strongest example of network approaches to increasing impact and strengthening financial performance in the domestic community development field. The purpose of this case study is to extract the lessons from the FAHE experience…


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Wealth and Prosperity in Central Appalachia

This paper assesses the prosperity of Central Appalachian counties. The assessment compares the prosperity levels of Central Appalachian counties to each other, to themselves over time, and to the region and the country as a whole, using measures that…


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Wealth Creation and Rural-Urban Linkages An Exploratory Study of Economic Flows in Two Natural Resource-Rich Regions

How does the flow of money from trade, dividends and interest, rent, and taxes affect the potential for wealth creation? By examining the economic activity of areas in two resource rich regions, one in Oregon and one in Appalachia, this paper paints a…
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