**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MANY U.S. RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE CULTURAL AMENITIES AND PERFORMING ARTS TO ATTRACT TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS, AND TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY WELLBEING. DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD USE OF CULTURAL AMENITY AND PERFORMING ARTS-BASED STRATEGIES, THERE IS LITTLE RESEARCH-BASED INFORMATION ABOUT THE ETHNIC AND RACIAL CHARACTER OF THESE PLACE-MAKING ASSETS ACROSS U.S. REGIONS. ALSO, THERE'S A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THEIR EFFECTS ON RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY.THIS PROJECT WILL FILL THESE GAPS WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CULTURAL AMENITIES AND PERFORMING ARTS ACTIVITIES OF U.S. COUNTIES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THEIR ETHNIC AND RACIAL CHARACTER, ALONG WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS. THE STUDY WILL USE A NEW MEASURE OF THE URBAN INFLUENCE OF U.S. COUNTIES TO EXAMINE HOW THE TYPES OF CULTURAL AMENITIES AND PERFORMING ARTS ACTIVITIES VARY ACROSS THE RURAL-URBAN HIERARCHY, AND TO LEARN HOW THE IMPACTS OF AMENITIES AND ARTS MIGHT DIFFER ACROSS PLACES.THE PROJECT WILL GENERATE TWO LARGE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATABASES: A COUNTY-LEVEL INVENTORY OF ABOUT 250,000 PLACE-BASED ASSETS (E.G., CULTURAL AMENITIES, PERFORMING ARTS) AND COUNTY-LEVEL INDICATORS OF URBAN INFLUENCE, WHICH WILL COMPLEMENT EXISTING INDICATORS SUCH AS THE USDA URBAN INFLUENCE CODES. POLICYMAKERS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS WILL USE THIS INFORMATION IN LOCAL ARTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND BENCHMARKING EXERCISES, AND OTHER RESEARCHERS WILL USE THIS INFORMATION IN STUDIES OF RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NEAR THE COMPLETION OF OUR STUDY, WE WILL VISIT AND SHARE OUR RESULTS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICYMAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS, AND LEADERS OF LOCAL ARTS-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THE PROJECT'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS INCREASED DIVERSITY OF (AND INCLUSION IN) LOCAL CULTURE AND ARTS, AND IMPROVED RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.