Academics and governments create definitions of what is a rural community, and what is not a rural community, on a regular basis. These definitions might be based on population counts or based on access to services. How communities actually define themselves, however, is a different question.

Neil Stoop, Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development candidate, share findings of his thesis research at the International Geography Union/Canadian Association of Geographers Conference. Neil’s research examined how residents of Ingersoll, Ontario define their community. This research examines how residents of Ingersoll define themselves in comparison to leading academic and government definitions. This research has substantial impacts for local development, public policy, and academia.

@NJStoop shares his research on how Ingersol defines themselves as rural at CAG 2018 @SEDRD pic.twitter.com/lZmEoCUH42

— Ryan Gibson (@ryanfgibson) August 7, 2018

The IGU/CAG Conference took place in Québec City from 6-10 August 2018. Further information on the IGU/CAG conference can be found at http://igu2018.ulaval.ca.