Vibrant Virginia: Bridging Urban-Rural Divides

I live in Virginia, and, like many US states, we’ve often got some tensions between the urban and rural parts of the Commonwealth.  Theses differences often get the most media attention, but there are also many great stories of communities and people who are bridging these divides and seeking to build a more inclusive economy. That’s the focus of an excellent new book edited by Virginia Tech’s Margaret Cowell and Sarah Lyon-Hill called Vibrant Virginia:  Engaging the Commonwealth to Expand Economic Vitality.  The book contains 15 essays that were inspired by the Vibrant Virginia program, a statewide effort to engage higher education in addressing urban-rural divides.  Topics covered include, among others, broadband deployment, STEM education partnerships, addressing the addiction crisis, supporting Main Street development, and promoting arts and culture.  I contributed to a chapter, with my colleague Scott Tate of Virginia Tech, examining connections between urban and rural entrepreneur ecosystems.  The book is a good read, even for non-Virginians, and even better, you can download for it free here.