Our Mission

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is an all-University applied research and technology center at the University of Minnesota that connects faculty and students with community organizations and public institutions working on significant public policy issues in Minnesota.

• assisting faculty and students to produce more relevant research on critical issues in the state of Minnesota
• providing students the opportunity to strengthen their education through practical experience
• helping government agencies and community organizations get the research and personnel assistance they request
• enabling the University of Minnesota to better fulfill its land grant and urban missions

CURA works across disciplinary lines and professional boundaries, creating new programs and supporting projects that meet needs that no one else is meeting. Our staff leverages resources by collaborating closely with other University units, and with the constituents that we serve: nonprofit organizations, ethnic and racial minority groups, businesses, rural towns, inner-city neighborhoods, suburban communities, local governments, and state agencies.

CURA experiments with and nurtures new ideas. If they grow and flourish, they can be “spun off” to find a new supportive home or to stand alone. CURA is a place where new ideas can evolve and grow.