CIRD 2014 Awards selects four U.S. communities to host rural design technical workshops

Every year, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design selects up to four small towns and rural communities in the U.S. to host a two-and-a-half-day workshop focusing on rural design technical assistance. The workshops address design issues identified in each community and aim to inspire local engagement and progress.

Out of 48 applicants, this year's workshop host communities are:

• Carl Small Town Center: Houston Community, Mississippi
• Oregon County Food Producers and Artisans Co-Op: Oregon County, Missouri
• Lincoln and Lancaster County Planning Department: Lancaster County, Nebraska
• University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNHCE): Franklin, New Hampshire

The CIRD will give the winners US$7,000 to support the workshop, $35,000 for relevant design expertise and technical assistance, as well as additional training via webinars, conference calls, and web-based resources.

Each community's workshop is summarized right below.

Carl Small Town Center: Houston Community, Mississippi: "The community of Houston, Mississippi (pop. 3,562) will work with the Carl Small Town Center to generate a design for a cycling/pedestrian connection leading from their newest attraction -- the Tanglefoot Trail -- to the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile scenic drive and major destination for cyclists, to downtown Houston located seven miles away."

Oregon County Food Producers and Artisans Co-Op: Oregon County, Missouri: "The workshop in Oregon County, Missouri (pop. 10,997 ) will guide the renovation of one (in a series of) vacant buildings located on the town square in to a multi-destination market and community center to serve as an economic incubator for artists and food producers in the county."

Lincoln and Lancaster County Planning Department: Lancaster County, Nebraska: "Lancaster County, Nebraska will host a region-wide workshop gathering residents and leaders together from 12 rural villages (total pop. 7,967) to create a toolbox of design techniques and resources to help recapture their sense of place."

University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNHCE): Franklin, New Hampshire: "Franklin, New Hampshire's (pop. 8,456) workshop will address how to revitalize the downtown in keeping with the goals of ensuring affordable housing options and age-friendly design for senior citizens statewide."