Fiscal, Economic, and Social Effects of Immigration in the Hoosier State

View Study This study details the current realities and implications of immigration in Indiana as a whole, including effects on demographics, education, wealth and poverty, employment, and the labor market. Study sponsored by Conexus Indiana. Written at Ball State University by Emily J. Wornell, PhD and Michael J. Hicks, PhD; published May 13, 2019. To …

Community Asset Inventory and Rankings: Changes in Indiana Counties

View Report In this report, we summarize the major changes in rankings for all categories of CAIR between 2012 and 2018. In addition, we also develop a ‘housing barometer’ tool for each county based on a county’s home prices relative to the state and its growth.  Visit the CAIR website at https://cair.cberdata.org to explore the full features …

David Terrell, Executive Director of RUPRI Center for State Policy, spoke at Harvard Conference on Rural America, Video Recording Now Available

David Terrell, Executive Director of the RUPRI Center for State Policy and the Indiana Communities Institute spoke at a Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health conference on Rural America, co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Public Radio.  David joined other speakers to discuss the Health and Economic Concerns of Rural …

2018 Small Cities Conference

May 11, 2018 – May 12, 2018 Theme: “Vulnerable Communities: Research, Policy, & Practice” The 2018 Small Cities Conference at Ball State University examines the economic and social challenges facing vulnerable communities from a variety of perspectives. Join us for conversation and scholarship focusing on economic and policy dimensions of community problems, social and cultural factors that …

Kentucky Food + Art + Health Dialogue

March 27, 2018  – March 28, 2018 Join us in Owensboro, Kentucky March 27-28, 2018 for a statewide conversation about the dynamic intersection of food, art and health.  The dialogue begins at the RiverPark Center in downtown Owensboro, and includes a series of presentations from exemplars in the field addressing the impact of food + art + health …

Rural Cultural Wealth Lab Digital Exchange Webinar

January 23, 2018 The RUPRI Rural Cultural Wealth Lab is one of four inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Research Labs named last year, following a national competition. This national effort unites the knowledge and lived experiences of a diverse array of scholars and practitioners to explore the intersection of rural arts and culture, entrepreneurship and innovation, …

RUPRI Rural Cultural Wealth Lab highlighted in NEA press release: New Research Highlights Economic Impact of the Arts in Rural Communities National Endowment for the Arts Releases Rural Arts, Design, and Innovation in America Online Conversation at #NEArural

Washington, DC—Rural arts organizations draw more non-local audiences to their venues and report greater civic leadership and customer connectedness than their urban peers, according to a new research report, Rural Arts, Design, & Innovation in America: Research Findings from the Rural Establishment Innovation Survey. Published by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the report is …

Creative Cities/Creative Countrysides: “Rural Cities”, Micropolitan Regions, and Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking

This presentation rethinks rural wealth, sustainable economic development and cultural equity. It also discusses micropolitan leadership in rural/urban collaboration as well as the Ottumwa Opportunity. Presented by Charles W. Fluharty (President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute) to the Main Street Ottumwa Better Block Summit on October 11, 2017. View Presentation

Creative Cities/Creative Countrysides: “Rural Cities”, Micropolitan Regions, and Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking

This presentation rethinks rural wealth, sustainable economic development and cultural equity. It also discusses micropolitan leadership in rural/urban collaboration as well as Paducah, our national micropolitan exemplar. Presented by Charles W. Fluharty (President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute) to the the 2017 UNESCO Creative Cities Annual Meeting on September 26, 2017 in Paducah, Kentucky. …

Digital Exchange Webinar: Arts and Engagement with Community Heart & Soul

August 9, 2017  The Orton Family Foundation’s Community Heart & Soul™ is a process designed to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities. Join us for this Digital Exchange Webinar to learn about how three diverse examples of arts & creative place-making projects in Heart & Soul …

Digital Exchange Webinar: Knowledge Building in Rural Creative Placemaking

July 19, 2017 Since 2009, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has been targeting investment and technical assistance towards creative placemaking. 2017 marks the fourth cycle of NEA funding supporting projects that “Build Knowledge about Creative Placemaking,” which has sustained “Next Generation: The Future of Rural Arts and Culture Placemaking in Rural America” since our launch. …

Digital Exchange Webinar Highlights the Delta Regional Authority Creative Placemaking Initiative

July 12, 2017  During the closing plenary of the Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit in Iowa City last October, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chair Chris Masingill announced a commitment to strengthen DRA creative placemaking. Most attendees agreed this was the singular most important outcome of that national convening. The DRA has worked since that announcement to create a …

Delta Regional Authority: Celebrating the Art, Music & Culture of the Delta

African-American influence in American music is widely evident. We know this all too well in the Mississippi River Delta region, where the Blues that were shaped by African-Americans still reign supreme. These musical contributions give us all a richer, deeper understanding of American culture, shaping music that includes rock and roll, rhythm and blues, jazz, …

Digital Exchange Webinar: The Power of Stories to Bring Communities Together

April 27, 2017 Join community organizers from Minnesota, Missouri, and Tennessee for this Digital Exchange webinar focused on the power of stories to bring people together in community. You’ll hear from the organizer of a national festival, the founder of a regional museum, and a local writer and media artist about their experiences lifting up …

Footloose Jobs & Urbanization

Footloose Jobs & Urbanization: Recent History and Policy Considerations for Indiana This policy brief outlines the recent history of footloose and non-footloose jobs in Indiana, including regional changes in rural and urban employment. We also examine economic development policy and suggest future models for consideration. Written by Michael J. Hicks, PhD (Center for Business and …

Orton Family Foundation Free Webinar: Economic Development for the Next Generation with Zach Mannheimer

March 23, 2017 The day after his 30th birthday, Zach Mannheimer bucked the trend and moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Des Moines, Iowa. Now he’s focused on getting others like him to see the upside of living in smaller communities. Zach’s work takes a fresh approach to economic development in small towns with young …

RUPRI Leader, Dr Bruce Weber to present at Agricultural and Applied Economics Association meetings – Boston

July 31, 2016 – August 2, 2016 The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is a not-for-profit association serving the professional interests of members working in agricultural and broadly related fields of applied economics. Members of the AAEA are employed by academic or government institutions, as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a …

The Human Development Index of Indiana Counties: A Policy Perspective

View Policy Paper Three factors comprise the Human Development Index—health, education, and living standards. We examine those factors and provide a framework for policy considerations. This study is a research contribution to Primacy of Place, an interdisciplinary initiative at Ball State University (home of the RUPRI Center for State Policy). Primacy of Place focuses on …