RURAL COMMUNITIES FACE A DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION - AGING POPULATION, LOSING YOUNG PEOPLE, AND INCREASING ETHNIC DIVERSITY. THIS DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION REQUIRES A MULTIGENERATIONAL APPROACH TO PLANNING AND SERVICE DELIVERY THAT PROMOTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE DATA ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND LOCAL POLICY TO HELP SHIFT THE URBAN-BIASED PARADIGM OF AGE-FRIENDLY PLANNING TO ADDRESS RURAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES. WE WILL EXPLORE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, SERVICE DELIVERY AND PUBLIC HEALTH, AND PROVIDE EXTENSION TO PLANNERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: (1) BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE DATASET TO ASSESS RURAL DISPARITIES, (2) CONDUCT NATIONAL SURVEYS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING, SERVICE DELIVERY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES. (3) BUILD A COMPLEX SYSTEMS MODEL TO EXAMINE THE LINKAGE BETWEEN PLANNING, PHYSICAL DESIGN, SERVICE DELIVERY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH. (4) CONDUCT CASE STUDIES AND EXTENSION OUTREACH TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND PLANNERS, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO RURAL MINORITY COMMUNITIES. CORNELL UNIVERSITY IS PARTNERING WITH FLORIDA A AND M UNIVERSITY TO DO THIS WORK. WE ALSO ARE COLLABORATING WITH AARP, THE INTERNATIONAL CITY/COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (ICMA) AND THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION (APA) TO ENSURE WE REACH RURAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND PLANNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THIS PROJECT MEETS NIFA PRIORITIES TO (1) EVALUATE THE INSTITUTIONAL, SOCIAL, OR ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING DECISION MAKING; (2) EXAMINE TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE-RELATED DECISIONS FOR RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; AND (3) CREATE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR ADVANCING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.