GOAL 5 -- Initiate, develop, and direct an institute for the study of small city issues

BLI will work with civic leaders, scholars, and funding organizations to create an interdisciplinary research center devoted to the study of the health and vitality of small cities.

Objective A) Invite university participation in resident-led urban research, planning, development, training, dissemination, and evaluation.

• Identify policy research of relevance to community organizations
• Recruit interdisciplinary teams of students and faculty
• Use university resources for research, surveys, and statistical analysis
• Devise cooperative development strategies to support these research agendas
• Create a database of best practices and participatory approaches to community research

Objective B) Provide technical assistance and training to sister efforts in other cities.

• Develop and maintain a web site featuring current research on community-based planning and development practices
• Develop workshops
• Provide short-term problem solving assistance

Objective C) Offer field-based learning experiences such as internships and externships to students, civic leaders, and independent scholars.

• Develop curricula on small city issues for a variety of constituencies
• Encourage new paradigms and theoretical models of small cities development

Objective D) Create a nexus for funding small city research.

• Develop a database on funding availability on research for small city issues
• Establish a fund for interested investors on small city issues
• Pursue funding for cooperative research and development examining critical issues facing small cities
• Raise needed funds through grants and contracts with public and private agencies