CURA’s Research Areas

CURA provides applied research and technical assistance in the following areas related to urban and regional affairs:

• Communities and Neighborhoods
  Recent CURA research projects related to communities and neighborhoods have included studies of community oral history, landscape design and community aesthetics, sustainable rural development, community recreational opportunities, community-building projects, crime prevention and policing, and community needs assessments. (View resources on Communities and Neighborhoods or search for recent projects)

• Economic Development and Employment
  Recent economic development and employment research projects at CURA have included studies of community revitalization and redevelopment projects, transit-oriented development, human resources practices, state employment and economic policies, agricultural cooperative markets, organizational marketing campaigns, and tourism and recreation. (View resources on Economic Development and Employment or search for recent projects)

• Environment and Energy
  Recent CURA research projects related to the environment and energy have included studies of agriculture and food systems, forestry, water resource protection, community gardens, wildlife habitat conservation, alternative energy sources, environmental entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation, and brownfield redevelopment. (View resources on Environment and Energy or search for recent projects)

• Education
  Recent CURA research projects in the field of education have included studies of educational achievement, language and literacy programs, community education, housing stability and education, multiculturalism and diversity in education, work skills training, health education, environmental education, and higher education funding. (View resources on Education or search for recent projects)

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  Recent GIS research projects at CURA have included studies of affordable housing, rural planning and development, GIS capacity building, neighborhood organizing and revitalization, community participation GIS, data sharing, and GIS professional codes of ethics. (View resources on Geographic Information Systems or search for recent projects)

• Government and Public Policy
  Recent CURA research projects in the areas of government and public policy have included studies of budget and tax policy, civic participation, sentencing guidelines, restorative justice programs, regional policy initiatives, and law enforcement training. (View resources on Government and Public Policy or search for recent projects)

• Health, Human, and Social Services
  Recent CURA research projects in the areas of health, human, and social services have included studies of youth services, childcare policy, mental health programs, crisis resources, aging and the aged, child welfare policy, medical screening, healthcare programs and policies, and the Minneapolis Family Investment Program (MFIP). (View resources on Health, Human, and Social Services or search for recent projects)

• Housing
  Recent housing research projects at CURA have included studies of affordable housing, homeownership services, real estate foreclosures, community housing stock and housing needs, at-risk and problem properties, housing and employment, rental housing, and public housing. (View resources on Housing or search for recent projects)

• Land Use and Population
  Recent CURA research projects in the areas of land use and population have included studies of lakeshore development policy, American Indian tribal land trusts, urban sprawl, neighborhood land-use planning, spatial data mining, resource and land-use maps, regional planning, demographic and population changes in the 2000 U.S. Census, and conservation design. (View resources on Land Use and Population or search for recent projects)

• Transportation
  Recent CURA research projects in the areas of transportation have included the history of the interstate highway system in the Twin Cities metro area, greenway corridor development, bikeway master plan development, the Twin Cities Transportation and Regional Growth Study, trail feasibility studies, dedicated busways, and light-rail transit. (View resources on Transportation or search for recent projects)

• Underserved and Disadvantaged Groups
  Recent CURA research projects related to underserved and disadvantaged groups have included studies of Latinos in rural Minnesota, migrant workers, public services for Liberian immigrants, housing affordability for immigrant groups, resources for American Indian women, language interpretation cards for Hmong immigrants, cultural diversity programs in Greater Minnesota, and youth activities projects. (View resources on Underserved and Disadvantaged Groups or search for recent projects)