The Regional Dialogue Participants engaged in reflective, thoughtful conversations with the other Participants in their small groups. They talked about how they experience and define Oregon’s urban rural divide, the greatest challenges they see in their communities, and so much more. 

​

Authors used notes and recordings of the Regional Dialogue  conversations to generate the issues that came up the most at the Regional Dialogues. 

​

As shared under the “About the Regional Dialogues” tab, data-collecting projects are often premised on quantitative data gathering with the intent that these endeavors will offer definitive conclusions. However, when researching the divides between communities, much of the data lies in the lived experience of people, which is why the Urban Rural Connection Project intentionally relied on qualitative data gathering through first-hand conversations with diverse leaders.

 

The Project’s designers understand that in focusing on individuals’ experiences, the content collected would lack empirical rigor. The intent was not to create exhaustive conclusions about what causes and perpetuates divides across geographies, but rather to create spaces where there was a high level of candor, so that portions of this divide could be demystified and shared more broadly.

 

Ideally the Report, premised on these Regional Dialogues, contributes to better understanding and furthers collaborations across divides.

​

We encourage you to both read and provide your reflections at the bottom of each summary.

​