What's New in Our Community

Rural Visioning Project

Shaping the Present Inspiring the Future Integrating the Visions & Strategies for Rural New York State

What is the Rural Visioning Project?
With the leadership from Cornell's Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) and the Department of Development Sociology's Rural New York Initiative (RNYI), the Rural Visioning Project is a multi-faceted and multi-step approach to identifying challenging issues and emerging opportunities facing rural New York State, and a focus on state-level policies to address these issues. Project goals include fostering a productive dialougue resulting in a well-articulated vision for rural New York State--a vision that highlights choices integrating economic opportunity and environmental health with individual and community capacity for planning, problem solving and entrepreneurial leadership, effective decision making; and implementation of targeted strategies for rural community and economic development. The Project will bring together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners through a variety of planned activities.

Why Cornell? Cornell's Land Grant Mission --> The Rural Visioning Project
Cornell's land-grant status necessitates an integrated vision which emphasizes the connections between the agricultural, environmental and social dimensions of both Cornell's multi-faceted expertise and the needs of our world--including the needs of rural New York. The Rural Visioning Project has an emphasis on outreach, engagement, and Extension; connecting with stakeholders and policy makers around the state. The Project has the support of top administration in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Our Relationship with NYS Legislative Commission on Rural Resources
The bi-partisan Legislative Commission on Rural Resources (LCRR) is charged with providing state lawmakers with a clear focus on the needs of rural New York. Our collaboration with the LCRR will assist the Rural Visioning Project to have a strong focus on state-level policies.

Some of the major activities planned to date
A series of planned activities are over the next year will gather information on existing and newly emerging issues facing Rural New York State, and the development strategies and action steps with which to address them.

- Stakeholder Engagement
- Regional Listening Sessions
- Rural Forums hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Future of Rural New York State Seminar Series
- Empire State Poll reports and Activities
- Legislative Briefings
- Rural Research Round-tables
- 2006/2007 State of Rural New York Conference

For more information contact Rod Howe, Robin Blakely or visit the CaRDI Website www.cardi.cornell.edu and Rural New York Initiative Website http://rnyi.cornell.edu