The Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Urban Gathering

Well, a moment that we have been anticipating for several months is finally here. The Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Urban Gathering is now upon us! The Rural Urban Gathering begins this evening, Wednesday, June 9, from 6:30 – 8:30 and is followed by a reception hosted by the U of MN Regional Sustainable Development [...]

The arts are alive and thriving in East Central Minnesota!

During our seventh video conference on Wednesday, May 26th, we learned about several different arts-based initiatives that are contributing to the quality of life and economic improvement in towns across east central Minnesota. Below is one of the connections we learned about during the video conference this past Wednesday. Pine Center for the Arts, located [...]

Northwest Minnesota Video Conference Featured Higher Education and Workforce Development Connections

Wow — are things hoppin’ in Northwest Minnesota in terms of workforce development and higher education! We learned about several really wonderful, world class resources that are sort of a best kept secret, during our sixth video conference on May 18th. So, we decided to share them with you and spread the word about these [...]

NE MN Video Conference featured connections in workforce development, entrepreneurship and broadband

Our fifth video conference, held on Monday, May 10, featured broadband, entrepreneurship and workforce development connections occurring in northeast Minnesota. Here are some of the great examples that were discussed during the video conference. Paula Frings, from Maven Perspectives and Bud Stone from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce discussed an innovative workforce development program called [...]

Rural and Urban Collaborations On the Rise

We have noticed that blogs regarding rural communities and revitalization in Minnesota seem to be popping up all over the place.  The Minnesota  Horizons blog offers communities the chance to chat about efforts to create economic prosperity in their communities. Minnesota Public Radio recently launched Ground Level, a blog that explores ways that residents are facing [...]

Rural Urban Connections Video Conferences

Spring is here in full bloom and so is our next round of video conferences! We are still gathering examples of rural urban connections, partnerships and frameworks that are occurring across the state. We will be presenting our findings at the Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Urban Gathering on June 9th and 10th. So, [...]

Is Facebook a friend or a foe to cities?

The following article from the Star Tribune looks at concerns that Facebook and other forms of Social Media are causing some cities regarding censorship.  The article also discusses ways that some cities, both large and small, are effectively using Facebook. For cities, friending Facebook is trickier than a click or two By Mary Jane Smetanka, Star [...]

Southern MN Video Conference Featured Connections in Entrepreneurship and Local Food Networks

We held our fourth video conference on Thursday, March 4, and the featured examples about rural urban connections were local food networks and entrepreneurship in southern Minnesota.

Rurb.MN discussing Rural Urban Connections on Twitter!

This blog is a place for everyone to share, discuss and learn more about the wonderful rural urban connections that are happening all over Minnesota.  But this blog is not the only place we are discussing rural and urban connections.  We are also on Twitter!  Go to our profile @RurbMN on Twitter and follow us!