The University of Guelph is home to a wide diversity of research on rural people, places, and environments. As a leader in rural research, this video series facilitates knowledge sharing across rural Ontario and beyond.
This video highlights recent research by Lucas Berek completed in 2025 titled The Living Room of a Rural Community. This thesis examines the actors, processes, and COVID-19 influences shaping economic development in the Town of New Tecum...
Are you an economic development practitioner in Ontario? We want to hear from you!
Please consider participating in the Knowledge Translation and Transfer to Advance Rural Economic Development survey. Your insights will help us better understand the realities, challenges, and opportunities facing economic development practitioners in rural Ontario, and inform recommendations to support economic development activities and knowledge sharing. You can acces...
Want to do more with your rural research? Join us for a workshop that teaches you how to create plain language summaries and videos on April 28 starting a 10.00 am.
Rural communities, businesses, and organizations face increasing challenges that require evidence-informed solutions. As a leader in rural research, the University of Guelph is well-positioned to support these communities through knowledge mobilization. To better address emerging complex and...
How safe is your favourite beach and who decides? The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited share the latest Rural Research Summary, “Canadian Beach Cohort Study: Protocol of a Prospective Study to Assess the Burden of Recreational Water Illness” providing implications and practical recommendations for conservation authorities, local governments, and community organizations among other stakeholders. The research was conducted by Ian Young, Binyam N. De...
The recent Rural Symposium brought together 160 participants, both in person and online, for a dynamic exchange of ideas focused on rural research and policy. The event featured 17 presentations and 11 posters, highlighting the depth and diversity of work being done by graduate students at the University of Guelph. These projects explored a wide range of rural issues and offered practical insights for policymakers and practitioners.
The Rural Symposium is
At this year’s Good Roads Conference in Toronto, a presentation on rural and northern transit offered a clear reminder that transportation planning in Canada is not one-size-fits-all. Ryan Gibson, on behalf of Sarah-Patricia Breen and Ela Mastej, highlighted how distance, low population density, and limited infrastructure shape transit systems outside urban centres. In many rural and northern communities, transit is not about convenience—it is about access
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation recently hosted a webinar as part of the New Researcher Forum series titled "Mobilizing Knowledge for Stronger Rural Futures". Prof. Ryan Gibson explored what he called the “knowledge paradox" - while more research exists than ever before, it often fails to reach the people who can use it most. Too often valuable rural research is locked behind technical language, paywalls, limited internet access, or simply doe
This summer, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 CIP-OPPI National Planning Conference, held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto from July 8–10, as a recipient of a student CIP-PSTF bursary, alongside fellow planning students from undergraduate and graduate programs across the country. It was also a pleasure getting to meet them and form new friendships throughout the conference.
Attending this conference was truly a great experience. As someo...
The Ontario Professional Planners Institute recently published a story titled "Mobilizing Economic Planning Knowledge
for Rural Ontario" that emerges from research conducted by graduate students and faculty. Take a read of the story based on research by Lucas Berek, Eliza MacLauchlan, Christine Miller, Damilola Oyewale, Natasha Pennell, Avery Velez, and Ryan Gibson.
As part of the 2025 Knowledge Translation and Transfer Conference, Ryan Gibson shared reflections on the Rural Futures: Mobilizing Knowledge and Sustaining Partnerships initiative. The Rural Futures initiative ensured rural knowledge and experiences within the university were translated and mobilized to rural partners in local government, community-based organizations, charities/nonprofits, Indigenous communities, all levels of government, businesses, and ...
