Place-Based Strategies for Economic Resilience in Rural Northern Maine

Abstract

This research paper will examine how extremely rural Maine communities are adapting conventional development tools to meet their unique circumstances, demonstrating how approaches considered standard elsewhere represent a significant innovation in rural contexts. Using northern Maine's post-Loring Air Force Base experience as a framework, the paper explores five interconnected areas of rural development: housing and land use, broadband connectivity, industry recruitment, downtown revitalization, and adaptive tourism. Transportation challenges and solutions are woven throughout each section, highlighting how mobility (or lack thereof) fundamentally shapes rural development opportunities.