Areas of expertise
Nine domains. Decades in the field.
John C. Shepard, AICP has spent more than 30 years working across the full range of issues facing rural communities — from land use and economic development to infrastructure, resilience, energy, and governance. Deep knowledge, built in real places.
The nine domains
Wide experience. Practical depth.
Each domain represents years of field work, research, and writing. Click any area to explore related articles.
Comprehensive Planning
Long-range plans that actually guide decisions. Land use, zoning, capital improvements, and the frameworks that help rural communities grow intentionally.
Explore articles →Economic Development
Building local economies from the inside out — entrepreneurship, workforce development, business retention, downtown revitalization, and rural economic strategy.
Explore articles →Infrastructure
Transportation, broadband, water, sewer, and the physical systems that determine whether rural communities can grow, attract investment, and remain viable.
Explore articles →Housing
Rural housing markets, workforce housing, housing needs assessments, and strategies for communities trying to attract and retain residents and workers.
Explore articles →Agriculture & Natural Resources
Agricultural land preservation, conservation planning, natural resource management, and the intersection of farming, land use, and rural economic identity.
Explore articles →Energy & Renewable Development
Wind, solar, data centers, and energy infrastructure — and the land use, governance, and economic development questions that come with them in rural communities.
Explore articles →Arts & Culture
The creative economy, heritage tourism, place-based identity, and the role of arts and culture in rural economic development and community vitality.
Explore articles →Hazard Mitigation
Risk-based planning for floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and man-made hazards — and how comprehensive plans can build resilience into the decisions communities make every day.
Explore articles →Governance
Public participation, local government capacity, intergovernmental cooperation, and the decision-making structures that determine whether rural communities can act on their plans.
Explore articles →The approach
Where the data meets the dirt road.
Three decades of work across seven states have shaped a clear point of view on what makes rural planning work — and what makes it fail.
Data-driven
The data already exist. The question is whether local governments are actually using them to make decisions.
Community-grounded
Good plans reflect local knowledge, political reality, and community priorities — not just what works somewhere else.
Implementation-focused
Plans that sit on shelves are not plans. Every strategy should lead to something communities can actually do.
Work with John
Bring this expertise to your community.
Whether you need a speaker for your conference, a planning consultant for your community, or a podcast guest who knows rural America — John is open to the right opportunities.
Get in touch → Explore the articles →