Creating Opportunities at the Rural/Urban Interface
The Challenge: Nearly 74 percent of Ohio's population lives in townships, villages, or small cities. These areas are often characterized by low-density development with a mix of urban and rural land uses often tied to agriculture. Large cities make up approximately 26 percent of Ohio's population and serve as centers for regional economies. Today, nearly one in every six Ohioans is employed in some dimension of food and agriculture, with the fastest-growing sector being floriculture, turfgrass, and nursery/landscape industries. The rural-urban continuum is characterized by interdependence for jobs, services, and lifestyle. As rural and urban communities become more integrated, concerns arise around land use, local governance, economic vitality, environmental issues, and culture clashes around quality of life issues.
OSU Extensionfs Response
OSU Extension programs foster connections between rural and urban communities to encourage positive outcomes for local communities and residents. The interdependence of the rural-urban continuum provides opportunities to capitalize on local and regional economies, new social arrangements, and the natural and built environments. Extension supports this interdependence through linking rural areas, exurban areas, suburban areas, and urban centers. Extension plays an educational role as it convenes regional dialogues, networks and clusters, transfers technologies, boosts skills of leaders, and helps regions identify niches.
Benefits/Outcomes for Ohioans
Extension helps communities explore regional opportunities. Outcomes of these activities provide opportunities for integrated management of land-use resources, economic prosperity for diverse populations, business opportunities linking urban to rural, and educational enhancement for schools.
Signature Programs and Targeted Audiences
Programs targeted towards locally elected/appointed officials and community leaders to assist in addressing local land-use planning activities.
- The Sustainable Communities Program--Myra Moss.
- Land-Use Issues Program--John Conglose.
- Public Issues Education: Smart Growth--Joe Konen.
- The Exurban Change Project--Jeff Sharp.
- Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy--Peggy Kirk-Hall.
- The Barn Again Program--Ann Christy.
Programs targeted towards business organizations, entrepreneurs, and the agricultural community to assist in pursuing regional economic connections.
- Go Big Network--Bill Grunkemeyer.
- The Direct Marketing Program--Julie Fox.
- The Local and Regional Foods Initiative--Joe Heimlich.
- Ohio Business Retention and Expansion Initiative--Greg Davis.
- Retail Market Analysis--Jill Clark.
An emerging program targeted towards local school officials and parents to explore greater citizen understanding and support for quality public education systems.
- Public Issues Education: Public Schools in Ohio--Chet Bowling.
