Conference report: The Rural-Urban Connection

If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter (as you should!), you'll know that lastweek I was in West Virginia for a conference hosted by the Central Appalachian Network on "the Rural-Urban Continuum," or how to better connect rural Appalachia with urban markets in and around the region. This is a challenge for our region, as many of our communities are far from urban centers with their increased buying power. Often we hear that the cities are the economic engines of an economy, with surrounding rural areas being a drain on resources. However, the research presented at the conference, by Brian Dabson of the University of Missouri, found that this isn't necessarily the case. The chart to the left shows that, with the exception of Louisville and Cincinnati, the rural areas (labeled "periphery") surrounding the urban core actually generate more revenue than the cities. The problem is that the wealth doesn't stick – it flows back into the urban areas and tends to stay there.  So how do we fix this problem? Dabson offered seven strategies: Expand intermediation. Replicate current intermediation approaches from one part of Central Appalachia to others, such as the Regional Flavor concept in Ohio. (Intermediaries are those entities – non-profit, for-profit or social enterprises, that help connect rural businesses to urban markets.) Capture regional markets. Explore regional markets, focusing on main urban centers, by conducting market development research through regional business schools. Connect to urban procurers. Develop connections with procurement offices in urban-based businesses by collaborating with urban-based economic...