John C. Shepard, AICP
@jcshepard.com
Trusted source for actionable insights and visionary perspectives on community planning, economic development, & rural resilience.
VC-Communications at APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division.
VC-Communications at APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division.
Rural Resilience, Federal Flux: Practical Planning for Local Hazard Mitigation
(going a bit #BoyScout #BePrepared on my Medium.com Small Towns, Real Ideas newsletter "short" post this week).
medium.com/small-towns-...
#hazardmitigation #communityengagement #planning
(going a bit #BoyScout #BePrepared on my Medium.com Small Towns, Real Ideas newsletter "short" post this week).
medium.com/small-towns-...
#hazardmitigation #communityengagement #planning
February 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Rural Resilience, Federal Flux: Practical Planning for Local Hazard Mitigation
(going a bit #BoyScout #BePrepared on my Medium.com Small Towns, Real Ideas newsletter "short" post this week).
medium.com/small-towns-...
#hazardmitigation #communityengagement #planning
(going a bit #BoyScout #BePrepared on my Medium.com Small Towns, Real Ideas newsletter "short" post this week).
medium.com/small-towns-...
#hazardmitigation #communityengagement #planning
In January, the US Census Bureau released state-level population estimates for 2025. Population growth in the United States has slowed significantly, showing only a small 0.5% gain last year. The slowdown is largely due to lower levels of net international migration.
February 3, 2026 at 1:20 PM
In January, the US Census Bureau released state-level population estimates for 2025. Population growth in the United States has slowed significantly, showing only a small 0.5% gain last year. The slowdown is largely due to lower levels of net international migration.
Demography is Destiny… Except When It Isn’t
Kicking off Feb theme of demographics & housing. Looking at slower growth & rising diversity, immigration & aging reshaping the world, & why the rural‑urban demographic split looks so familiar.
jcshepard.com/2026/02/demo...
#population #rural #econdev
Kicking off Feb theme of demographics & housing. Looking at slower growth & rising diversity, immigration & aging reshaping the world, & why the rural‑urban demographic split looks so familiar.
jcshepard.com/2026/02/demo...
#population #rural #econdev
February 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Demography is Destiny… Except When It Isn’t
Kicking off Feb theme of demographics & housing. Looking at slower growth & rising diversity, immigration & aging reshaping the world, & why the rural‑urban demographic split looks so familiar.
jcshepard.com/2026/02/demo...
#population #rural #econdev
Kicking off Feb theme of demographics & housing. Looking at slower growth & rising diversity, immigration & aging reshaping the world, & why the rural‑urban demographic split looks so familiar.
jcshepard.com/2026/02/demo...
#population #rural #econdev
The Rise of Rural Entrepreneurship: Building Economies from the Ground Up
In this week's entry for the Small Town, Real Ideas newsletter, I'm talking about economic development.
On Medium.com:
medium.com/small-towns-...
#econdev
In this week's entry for the Small Town, Real Ideas newsletter, I'm talking about economic development.
On Medium.com:
medium.com/small-towns-...
#econdev
January 28, 2026 at 1:36 PM
The Rise of Rural Entrepreneurship: Building Economies from the Ground Up
In this week's entry for the Small Town, Real Ideas newsletter, I'm talking about economic development.
On Medium.com:
medium.com/small-towns-...
#econdev
In this week's entry for the Small Town, Real Ideas newsletter, I'm talking about economic development.
On Medium.com:
medium.com/small-towns-...
#econdev
Brian Kelsey highlights the latest US Census state-level population estimates release today on Civic Analytics: “The Carolinas shine again in latest release from Census”
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
#population #econdev
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
#population #econdev
January 28, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Brian Kelsey highlights the latest US Census state-level population estimates release today on Civic Analytics: “The Carolinas shine again in latest release from Census”
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
#population #econdev
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
#population #econdev
Visioning is where planning shifts from checklists to imagination—and into action. How is your community using visioning to guide real decisions on the ground?
From Vision to Impact: jcshepard.com/2026/01/visi...
#urbanplanning #cityplanning #publicpolicy #communityengagement
From Vision to Impact: jcshepard.com/2026/01/visi...
#urbanplanning #cityplanning #publicpolicy #communityengagement
January 25, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Visioning is where planning shifts from checklists to imagination—and into action. How is your community using visioning to guide real decisions on the ground?
From Vision to Impact: jcshepard.com/2026/01/visi...
#urbanplanning #cityplanning #publicpolicy #communityengagement
From Vision to Impact: jcshepard.com/2026/01/visi...
#urbanplanning #cityplanning #publicpolicy #communityengagement
Small towns and rural communities are more than just places to live — they are the heart and soul of cultural traditions, historical narratives, and creative expression
medium.com/small-towns-...
medium.com/small-towns-...
January 22, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Small towns and rural communities are more than just places to live — they are the heart and soul of cultural traditions, historical narratives, and creative expression
medium.com/small-towns-...
medium.com/small-towns-...
Sparking Community Engagement
Future-ready communities don’t happen by accident. They grow when we invite people in and show how their ideas shape real projects. Running down a bunch of new high-tech (and low-tech) ideas to boost public participation: jcshepard.com/2026/01/spar...
#urbanplanning
Future-ready communities don’t happen by accident. They grow when we invite people in and show how their ideas shape real projects. Running down a bunch of new high-tech (and low-tech) ideas to boost public participation: jcshepard.com/2026/01/spar...
#urbanplanning
January 18, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Sparking Community Engagement
Future-ready communities don’t happen by accident. They grow when we invite people in and show how their ideas shape real projects. Running down a bunch of new high-tech (and low-tech) ideas to boost public participation: jcshepard.com/2026/01/spar...
#urbanplanning
Future-ready communities don’t happen by accident. They grow when we invite people in and show how their ideas shape real projects. Running down a bunch of new high-tech (and low-tech) ideas to boost public participation: jcshepard.com/2026/01/spar...
#urbanplanning
Planning is personal in small towns. Public participation isn’t a checkbox; it’s how rural communities build trust and get things done.
New post: Public Participation in Small Town Planning: Practical Community Engagement for Rural Leaders.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/publ...
#SmallTown #Rural #plans
New post: Public Participation in Small Town Planning: Practical Community Engagement for Rural Leaders.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/publ...
#SmallTown #Rural #plans
January 11, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Planning is personal in small towns. Public participation isn’t a checkbox; it’s how rural communities build trust and get things done.
New post: Public Participation in Small Town Planning: Practical Community Engagement for Rural Leaders.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/publ...
#SmallTown #Rural #plans
New post: Public Participation in Small Town Planning: Practical Community Engagement for Rural Leaders.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/publ...
#SmallTown #Rural #plans
Small towns don’t need less planning—they need planning that fits their people, land, and budgets. A six‑step, rural‑ready path from vision to action. Kicking off a year-long series on small town and rural comprehensive planning.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #plans
jcshepard.com/2026/01/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #plans
January 4, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Small towns don’t need less planning—they need planning that fits their people, land, and budgets. A six‑step, rural‑ready path from vision to action. Kicking off a year-long series on small town and rural comprehensive planning.
jcshepard.com/2026/01/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #plans
jcshepard.com/2026/01/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #plans
Happy New Year 2026! Here's to a new leaf of the map of our lives. They say tough times make tough people. May we live up to that challenge.
January 1, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Happy New Year 2026! Here's to a new leaf of the map of our lives. They say tough times make tough people. May we live up to that challenge.
Making the Top 10: It’s All About the Metadata
It’s the end of the year. A good time to set goals and list our achievements….
medium.com/@jcshepard.a...
#SmallTowns #cities #econdev #tourism
It’s the end of the year. A good time to set goals and list our achievements….
medium.com/@jcshepard.a...
#SmallTowns #cities #econdev #tourism
December 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Making the Top 10: It’s All About the Metadata
It’s the end of the year. A good time to set goals and list our achievements….
medium.com/@jcshepard.a...
#SmallTowns #cities #econdev #tourism
It’s the end of the year. A good time to set goals and list our achievements….
medium.com/@jcshepard.a...
#SmallTowns #cities #econdev #tourism
Middle West Review's Lost Region Recovery Project conference (Nov 15 at Sioux Falls) is now online: fast-paced panels on Midwestern history, culture, identity, and how to revive this “lost” region.
Session 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWv...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Midwest #planning #policy
Session 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWv...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Midwest #planning #policy
December 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Middle West Review's Lost Region Recovery Project conference (Nov 15 at Sioux Falls) is now online: fast-paced panels on Midwestern history, culture, identity, and how to revive this “lost” region.
Session 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWv...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Midwest #planning #policy
Session 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWv...
#SmallTowns #Rural #Midwest #planning #policy
How Can Your Hometown Thrive in the New Year?
It’s worth asking: why does your community exist? What gave it life in the first place? What could threaten to take it away? And maybe most importantly — what do you and your neighbors do better than anybody else?
#smalltowns
medium.com/small-towns-...
It’s worth asking: why does your community exist? What gave it life in the first place? What could threaten to take it away? And maybe most importantly — what do you and your neighbors do better than anybody else?
#smalltowns
medium.com/small-towns-...
December 24, 2025 at 1:58 AM
How Can Your Hometown Thrive in the New Year?
It’s worth asking: why does your community exist? What gave it life in the first place? What could threaten to take it away? And maybe most importantly — what do you and your neighbors do better than anybody else?
#smalltowns
medium.com/small-towns-...
It’s worth asking: why does your community exist? What gave it life in the first place? What could threaten to take it away? And maybe most importantly — what do you and your neighbors do better than anybody else?
#smalltowns
medium.com/small-towns-...
On the blog for your holiday gift-giving: 12 planning & sustainability books for 2026, from small-town action and civic branding to agri-energy and rural futures. What’s on your reading list for the new year? jcshepard.com/2025/12/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #econdev #books
#smalltowns #rural #planning #econdev #books
December 7, 2025 at 5:16 PM
On the blog for your holiday gift-giving: 12 planning & sustainability books for 2026, from small-town action and civic branding to agri-energy and rural futures. What’s on your reading list for the new year? jcshepard.com/2025/12/plan...
#smalltowns #rural #planning #econdev #books
#smalltowns #rural #planning #econdev #books
Rural Entrepreneurs Aren’t Taking No for an Economic Answer
The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought….
#SmallTowns #rural #econdev
medium.com/small-towns-...
The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought….
#SmallTowns #rural #econdev
medium.com/small-towns-...
December 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Rural Entrepreneurs Aren’t Taking No for an Economic Answer
The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought….
#SmallTowns #rural #econdev
medium.com/small-towns-...
The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought….
#SmallTowns #rural #econdev
medium.com/small-towns-...
The Idea Friendly Guide: How You Can Embrace New Ideas, Build Community, and Save Your Small Town
Get your copy of Becky McCray’s new book today!
Review: jcshepard.com/2025/12/the-...
#SmallTowns #Rural #leadership
Get your copy of Becky McCray’s new book today!
Review: jcshepard.com/2025/12/the-...
#SmallTowns #Rural #leadership
December 2, 2025 at 3:27 AM
The Idea Friendly Guide: How You Can Embrace New Ideas, Build Community, and Save Your Small Town
Get your copy of Becky McCray’s new book today!
Review: jcshepard.com/2025/12/the-...
#SmallTowns #Rural #leadership
Get your copy of Becky McCray’s new book today!
Review: jcshepard.com/2025/12/the-...
#SmallTowns #Rural #leadership
Small towns don’t need mega-projects to thrive—they need local wisdom, small wins, and community-led design. Millsboro (DE), Independence (IA) and Truth or Consequences (NM) show how “praxis” turns big planning ideas into walkable streets, vibrant parks, & revived main streets.
#smalltowns #rural
#smalltowns #rural
November 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Small towns don’t need mega-projects to thrive—they need local wisdom, small wins, and community-led design. Millsboro (DE), Independence (IA) and Truth or Consequences (NM) show how “praxis” turns big planning ideas into walkable streets, vibrant parks, & revived main streets.
#smalltowns #rural
#smalltowns #rural
Looks like data.census.gov coming back online. Welcome back US Census Bureau staff!!
Get your #Census data while you can.
Get your #Census data while you can.
November 17, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Looks like data.census.gov coming back online. Welcome back US Census Bureau staff!!
Get your #Census data while you can.
Get your #Census data while you can.
Turning theory into action: Rural towns like Hinesburg, VT & Davis, CA show how smart zoning puts big ideas into practice—blending growth, farmland, and community into real results. Ideas on how local values shape better land use here: jcshepard.com/2025/11/rura... #RuralZoning #Praxis #SmartGrowth
November 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Turning theory into action: Rural towns like Hinesburg, VT & Davis, CA show how smart zoning puts big ideas into practice—blending growth, farmland, and community into real results. Ideas on how local values shape better land use here: jcshepard.com/2025/11/rura... #RuralZoning #Praxis #SmartGrowth
Kristan Cockerill, Appalachian State University, discussed the idea of the #Midwest as “Flyover Country”. Spoiler: we do it to ourselves… so go ahead and embrace it. Like “Nebraska… we’re not for everyone”.
November 15, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Kristan Cockerill, Appalachian State University, discussed the idea of the #Midwest as “Flyover Country”. Spoiler: we do it to ourselves… so go ahead and embrace it. Like “Nebraska… we’re not for everyone”.
Kurt Hackemer, Provost at University of South Dakota, opening The Lost Region Recovery Project conference on #Midwest Studies in Sioux Falls. Sponsored by Middle West Review & National Endowment for the Humanities.
November 15, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Kurt Hackemer, Provost at University of South Dakota, opening The Lost Region Recovery Project conference on #Midwest Studies in Sioux Falls. Sponsored by Middle West Review & National Endowment for the Humanities.
"One of the best-preserved forts of the Northern Plains and a prime example of the small prairie fort is Fort Hartsuff on the eastern edge of the #Nebraska Sand Hills."
-Jeff Barnes, Forts of the Northern Plains: A Guide to Military and Civilian Posts of the Plains Indian Wars (New Edition, 2024)
-Jeff Barnes, Forts of the Northern Plains: A Guide to Military and Civilian Posts of the Plains Indian Wars (New Edition, 2024)
November 14, 2025 at 4:53 PM
"One of the best-preserved forts of the Northern Plains and a prime example of the small prairie fort is Fort Hartsuff on the eastern edge of the #Nebraska Sand Hills."
-Jeff Barnes, Forts of the Northern Plains: A Guide to Military and Civilian Posts of the Plains Indian Wars (New Edition, 2024)
-Jeff Barnes, Forts of the Northern Plains: A Guide to Military and Civilian Posts of the Plains Indian Wars (New Edition, 2024)
Lost Region Recovery Project Conference
November 15, 2025
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Innovative approaches to Midwestern #history, #culture, and #identity.
uimiddle.wordpress.com/lost-region-...
#Midwest
November 15, 2025
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Innovative approaches to Midwestern #history, #culture, and #identity.
uimiddle.wordpress.com/lost-region-...
#Midwest
November 13, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Lost Region Recovery Project Conference
November 15, 2025
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Innovative approaches to Midwestern #history, #culture, and #identity.
uimiddle.wordpress.com/lost-region-...
#Midwest
November 15, 2025
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Innovative approaches to Midwestern #history, #culture, and #identity.
uimiddle.wordpress.com/lost-region-...
#Midwest