Too often we take the beauty and distinctive characteristics of our communities for granted a special unobstructed view of the mountains or seashore, a grove of trees, the farmland on the edge of town with its picturesque fences and sweeping vistas, or a historic building at the center of the city. Then, without warning, a road-widening project demolishes a historic stone wall or a bulldozer destroys a grove of trees. The community could have defined some common perceptions of what was important and developed a strategy to protect or enhance its assets. A Visual Assessment Tool Kit for Communities is a guide that can help towns take a fresh look at their local appearance, identify areas of agreement and disagreement about the value of visual assets, and decide how to preserve or enhance them.
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Successful Local Government Employment Strategies Published Even with a booming economy and one of the lowest unemployment rates in decades, localities still strive to create jobs and retain businesses. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development s Office of Policy Development and Research have published the following reports based on these studies. Programs that Target Promising Sectors of Local Economies suggests how rural economic development agencies can fruitfully concentrate their efforts on businesses that have common features and are located near each other. A Study of Industrial Retention and Expansion Programs shows how communities can use industrial retention and expansion strategies to persuade local manufacturing firms to remain and add to their workforce. Early Lessons from Nonprofit Temp Agencies and Employment Brokers explains how employment brokers can be used to place job seekers into temporary positions that give them work experience, retention assistance, and other kinds of post-placement support.