Researchers, policymakers and practitioners recently gathered in Letterfrack, Ireland for the 2024 North Atlantic Forum. The Forum focused on sustainable livelihoods and sought to engage new ideas in rural development, policy practice, and the social economy.
To facilitate knowledge mobilization a series of rural research summaries were created by graduate students on innovative approaches to sustainable livelihoods. The summaries provides a snapshot of r
On 18 September 2024, five graduate students set out to collect information from businesses owners in Seaforth, Ontario to better understand the realities of attracting and retaining employees. Paul Sitsofe (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student), Paul Anim (Master of Science in Capacity Development and Extension student), Lucas Berek (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student), Calum Jacques (Master of Science in Ru...
Farmland preservation is critical to the future of rural Ontario. The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited share the first Rural Research Summary - Farmland Preservation and Urban Expansion in Ontario. This summary sheds light into the challenges and strategies associated with balancing farmland preservation amidst growing urban development pressures, providing implications and practical recommendations for policymakers, planners, and community stakeh
Businesses across rural Ontario are confronted with challenges and opportunities in attracting and retaining workers. On 18 September 2024 (Wednesday), researchers from the University of Guelph will be in Seaforth to speak with businesses to better understand these local issues related to attracting and retaining workers. All businesses are invited to share their perspectives in a brief 5 minute discussion. Researchers will pop into businesses in t
Josh Barrett's PhD dissertation titled A New Localism for Newfoundland and Labrador? An Exploratory Study of Rural Local Government Entrepreneurialism is now available in the University of Guelph's Atrium! The abstract to Josh's PhD dissertation is listed below:
The roles and responsibilities of local governments are changing. Historically, the expectation of service delivery was focused on areas such as garbage collection, street paving,
Four members of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development shared rural research at the recent 74th annual Canadian Association of Geographers national conference in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. With a conference theme of Edges, students and faculty contributed research on rural health, rural economic development, northern veterinary service provision, and rural workforce development. Presentations shared at the conference included:
The future of rural businesses and communities is dependent on appropriate and effective workforce development strategies. Rural businesses and communities are confronted with challenges in accessing relevant human capital to support, maintain, and grow their operations. Without deliberate and place-based strategies, rural businesses and rural economies will be negatively impacted.
Researchers at the University of Guelph and Selkirk College are interested
Rural development practitioners are at the front line of facilitating prosperous rural communities, places, and environments across Ontario. Ensuring rural development practitioners have access to the most up to date knowledge it critical to facilitating decision-making on the future of rural places.
Leading rural development organizations, community innovators, elected officials, students, and researchers gathered at the North Atlantic Forum in Letterfra
Rural Ontario research was on full display at the recent North Atlantic Forum in Letterfrack, Co. Galway, Ireland. Graduate students and faculty from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph showcased new and emerging rural development knowledge related to agri-food systems, housing, work force development, economic development, and rural transit:
Sara Epp & Regan Zink - Rural Communities, Agri
Congratulations to Jay Maloney, Sean Markey, Ryan Gibson, and Ashleigh Weeden for their recent peer reviewed journal publication titled "Advancing Green Infrastructure Solutions in Rural Regions: Economic Impacts and Capacity Challenges in Southwest Ontario, Canada". The abstract for the article published in Rural and Regional Development is listed below:
Green infrastructure (GI) is a growing topic in urban planning, asset management, and clima
