A Field Guide to Tactical Heritage Urbanism Volume 1: October 2016 | Page 57

Case Study: small
Cultural Economic Assessments
in Canada’s Rural Communities
http://cultureofsmall.com/
Canada’s rural communities are in transition: communities that were
developed around natural resource-based economic models now face
challenges as the nature of the resource sector changes. These towns and
villages are often faced with population decline, loss of jobs, and limited
opportunities to viably create new growth in their communities.
One avenue for revitalization within these rural regions is to leverage
cultural values and assets to ensure their continued economic viability.
small provides solutions to help reuse existing cultural heritage assets –
buildings, skills, and natural features of these rural regions – to support
new diversified economic models. By drawing on the distinct cultural
heritage of each area, the program helps support livable communities
by linking community engagement activities, proposals for development,
and opportunities for economic diversification to existing local and
regional priorities.

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