Blogs

Building Entrepreneurial Communities
Support your local grocer
Want to know a secret? Your local, independent grocer loves you. Truly. They love your hometown, your traditions, your Friday-night ballgames, and...
hands holding empty wallet
How Poverty Simulations Inspire Empathy and Action
Poverty is a daily reality for many individuals and families but, unless you’ve lived it, it’s difficult to truly grasp the stress, complexity, and...
Scrabble pieces spelling the word Leadership
Community Leadership for Rural Illinois
In the realm of community development, discussions about creating leadership opportunities in rural American communities abound. Some advocate for...
view of small pond with cattails and floating log from shore
Take advantage of living in a small pond
For young adults or their parents, small towns may not seem like the most exciting places to live compared to the big city. However, they offer...
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Boost your brand: Marketing for small-business owners
Running a small business is no easy feat. With a never-ending to-do list, promotional planning often takes a backseat. Unfortunately, this lack of...
Two people at a meeting table with a laptop.
Turning to-do lists into success strategies
Some people like lists; I am one of those types of people. I have daily, weekly, and monthly lists. I have lists for home, for work, for my children...
thriving downtown buildings
Bring life to empty downtown buildings
I’ve noticed that many of our rural Illinois communities have a vacant or derelict building in the heart of their downtown or on main street. While...
Spending locally first ensures roads are safe for travel in winter.
What does it take to keep our roads clear . . . and how do we pay for it?
In Illinois, we’re familiar with the phrase “A winter weather advisory is in effect for your region.” Snow has blanketed the state from north to...
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Campus Engagement Projects
Greater Peoria Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) collaborated with the Greater Peoria Economic Development...
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Moving Toward Transportation Equity: A Case Study
Transportation moves us. Jobs, school, health clinics, grocery stores, recreational facilities, and more would be impossible to get to without...
downtown Morton IL
Housing Strategies for Economic Development in Central Illinois
Morton Economic Development Council and Chamber of Commerce...
Building an Equitable and Just Green Infrastructure Strategy in the North Central Region
Aging water infrastructure, extreme weather, and pressure from residents for green space and community resilience are bringing about changes to the...
Streator Incubator Feasibility Study
Streator is a forward thinking city. During the spring of 2019 the city contracted with ...
University of Illinois College of Medicine - Peoria Partnership
Our partnerships with U of I College of Medicine - Peoria are cross-disciplinary and mutually beneficial. Even though we are both...
Extension Staff Involved in Filling the Grocery Gap in Peoria
When two more grocery stores closed in 2018 in Southside and East Bluff Peoria neighborhoods, University of Illinois Extension staff joined the team...
Market Analysis Project Assists Delavan with Big Ideas to Improve their Small Town
There are tremendous opportunities in small town’s historic downtowns. This past fall University of Illinois Extension partnered with a Bradley...
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College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

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Urbana, IL 61801

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