Building Resilience Through Design

Rural design is an important tool for rural communities to build upon existing assets and improve the way a community looks, its quality of life, and its economic viability. However, few rural communities have access to design assistance or the expertise to tackle these challenges on their own. The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) provides communities access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality.

Application Deadline

Thank you and good luck to everyone who submitted applications!

From the Blog

  • Residents in Exeter, RI used a “Places of the Heart” map to identify parts of town that they value most as well as areas of concern. / Photo: Orton Family Foundation

    Community Wisdom + Expert Knowledge = Good Community Design

    April 23, 2013
    In a special guest post, the Orton Family Foundation's Ariana McBride answers the question: what can you do to help find a balance between community wisdom and design & planning professionals in your community’s rural design project?
  • What is Good Rural Design?

    March 21, 2013
    Good rural design can take many different forms and appear on many different scales.
Map showing locations of CIRD Workshops
Where We Work

Established in 1991, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design has convened more than 60 workshops in all regions of the country, empowering residents to leverage local assets for the future in order to build better places to live, work, and play.

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Rural Resources

CIRD supports host communities before and after their workshops via informational conference calls and webinars that cover critical topics in community engagement, rural design, partnership development, and workshop planning.