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Home > News & Events > CLA Today Archive > Spring 2006 : Coming to Their Census

Coming to Their Census: The Urbanization of Rural Minnesota

by Andi McDaniel

ELove the city, but dreaming of a home in the country? You’re not the only one. According to a recent research project conducted by John Adams, chair of the Department of Geography, and graduating senior Richard Nicholson, more and more people are undecided about where to dwell—and so they’re spending time in both places.

Adams's and Nicholson's project, “The Urbanization of Minnesota's Countryside”—sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT)—used census data to find correlations between commuting patterns and other social factors, such as income levels, vocations, and population. The goal was to identify emerging urban centers, and also to determine whether certain communities are getting greater usage out of state amenities like roads (hence MNDOT's involvement).

But determining what counts as “urban” is more difficult than you might think, especially as new “settlement forms” evolve. According to Nicholson, “To some, a town is considered ‘urban’ once it reaches a certain population. To others, it's whether there's lots of inter-county commuting and money exchanging hands across borders.” So in analyzing census data, Adams and Nicholson needed to consider a variety of these factors at once.

“I was sort of his data junkie,” says Nicholson of his research task, crunching census numbers. As Adams's research assistant, Nicholson did his share of grunt work—but he also had the opportunity to become more deeply involved with his department. “It was a more intimate experience,” he recalls. “It drew me into the department, made me feel like I was part of what the department is doing.”

Richard Nicholson graduated from the University in the Summer of 2006 in BA Geography.