Reconnecting Rural and Urban

Why did 575 people from all over North Carolina cram into a hotel conference room in downtown Raleigh on February 11th? The occasion was the ReCONNECT Rural and Urban Forum led by the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University. They came to explore how rural and urban communities are interconnected despite the ongoing narrative about the growing rural-urban divide. An impressive array of speakers from business, nonprofits, government, health care, churches, philanthropy, and the media offered insights, stories, and data. The energy in the room showed that there is a hunger for breaking down barriers and seeking new and stronger connections. In two previous blogs from 2017, Our Shared Fate and Our Shared Fate 2, the background on this topic was discussed as well as initiatives underway in North Carolina to find common ground. It is heartening that these efforts continue at the Institute of Emerging Issues, the Triangle J Council of Governments and the Urban Institute at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Recently, LOCUS Impact Investing[1] has launched a new project with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Regional Solutions to Rural and Urban Challenges sets out to test the idea that regional collaboration can be effective in improving social and economic opportunity and health. Specifically, researchers are seeking examples of policy and practice to promote boundary-crossing and multi-sector solutions to regional challenges that benefit rural areas, low-income people, and people of color. The project hopes to learn about the effectiveness of these examples, who the main players and beneficiaries [...]