Rural/Community Development

Presentations address how vacant building demolitions affect crime in the short and long term, how individual borrower characteristics influence response to mortgage assistance, whether increasing population density leads to agricultural intensification, and complementary models for analyzing drought impacts.

This session explores the distribution of income and wealth in rural America and how the dynamics of wealth and income inequality are affected by the trajectories of natural resource use in different regions.

Presentations examine the policy implications of rural-urban heath disparities, policies to increase health care efficiency, whether healthcare or natural amenities drive migration among retirees, and the link between amenity-rich environments and obesity.

Presentations include the impact of mandated biofuels on food prices and wages, using social networks to improve farmers' income, the impact of higher education on economic growth, and factors affecting incomes of the self-employed.