The Mindset Shifts for Sustainable and Equitable Rural Development report (Aspen CSG, 2020) highlights how advancing rural prosperity requires rethinking assumptions that often hold communities back. It urges funders, policymakers, and practitioners to shift from seeing rural places as too small or too challenged to invest in, toward recognizing their assets, resilience, and central role in solving national issues like climate change, health equity, and inclusive economic growth. The report emphasizes moving from short-term, project-based interventions to long-term, systems-level investment; from top-down policy design to authentic community-led strategies; and from treating rural regions as isolated to acknowledging their interconnectedness with urban areas. Aspen CSG frames these shifts as essential for building durable, equitable, and sustainable rural futures.
MINDSET SHIFTS
