In this episode, Ellen talks with Lucas Grindley from Next City and Richard Young from Civic Lex. Lucas and Richard discuss their respective organizations and their dedication to strengthening urban and rural areas through solutions journalism and transforming civic engagement. They also share about their collaboration on the 2024 Next City Vanguard Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, which explored rural-urban interdependence, its complexities and opportunities. Conference discussions focused on...
Jul 23, 2025•46 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Ellen talks with Extension foresters, Eli Sagor and Angie Gupta, about the significant impact forests have on rural and urban communities. Eli and Angie discuss the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding between urban and rural areas in maintaining healthy and productive forests, which are crucial for both economies and ecological balance. They also share their participatory science work that helps communities track environmental changes amid climate shifts. Episode Highlights: 03:...
Jul 16, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Ellen talks with Chris Estes, co-executive director of Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group, which supports rural communities, particularly those that have historically been overlooked. Chris emphasizes a shift from a deficit-based approach to an asset-based approach in community development and the benefits of rural-urban regional collaboration. He highlights successful strategies and models for regional cooperation that foster local ownership and nurture the intrinsic value of rural ar...
Jul 09, 2025•36 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In this episode, Ellen talks with journalist Nora Hertel and her news initiative, Project Optimist. Project Optimist, founded by Nora, aims to bring positive and constructive perspectives through solutions-based journalism, addressing regional issues with an evidence-based approach. Nora explains how the challenges faced by local newspapers and the rise of digital media prompted her to start Project Optimist, emphasizing how these factors contribute to a lack of understanding between rural and u...
Jul 02, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Ellen talks with Tim Marema, editor of The Daily Yonder, a digital news platform that provides news, information, and storytelling about rural America. Tim shares how the news ecosystem has changed since he started as a journalist 30 years ago and how it has become much more fragmented and nationalized as news deserts in rural areas increase and local journalism overall declines. Tim reflects on how the loss of local news impacts the way rural and urban communities see each other, what today’s n...
Jun 25, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Ellen talks with Camden Blatchley, a data analyst with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI). Camden discusses the complexities of defining rural and urban areas in the United States, and describes the differences between the two most commonly used definitions: one developed by the Census Bureau and the other by the Office of Management and Budget. Camden explains how these differing definitions can paint different images of rural America and reinforce narratives about rural and urban areas as a...
Jun 18, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the first episode of season 2, Ellen talks with David McCullough III, co-founder and CEO of the American Exchange Project (AEP). David discusses the origins and objectives of AEP, a program that sends high school graduates on week-long exchanges to different parts of the country. The program, inspired by international exchange initiatives after World War II, aims to foster cross-cultural understanding among rural, urban, and suburban students by building personal connections, which are key to...
Jun 11, 2025•30 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this special bonus episode, Ellen takes a break from working on season two to chat with her siblings, Megan and Keith, about their experiences growing up in rural Montana and North Dakota and their journey to urban spaces. Megan, Ellen, and Keith reminisce about their unique childhood from being the only girl in fifth grade to walking home from school with the cows and loving the wide open lands. They ponder why they all ended up in cities, the stereotypes and misconceptions people have about...
Mar 12, 2025•19 min
In the final episode of Side by Side's first season, Ellen talks with photographer John Noltner, founder of ‘A Peace of My Mind,’ a storytelling project that captures personal stories and portraits to foster dialogue across divides. John discusses the human tendency to avoid challenging preconceived notions and how storytelling deepens our understanding of each other and breaks down stereotypes. John reflects on his experiences from Skid Row in Los Angeles to the deep South of Mississippi and bo...
Nov 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode, Ellen welcomes colleague Brigid Tuck, an economist at the University of Minnesota Extension, who sheds light on a 2011 study demonstrating economic interdependence between rural and urban areas in Minnesota. Conducted in collaboration with Minnesota Rural Partners, the study highlights how economic changes in either region can significantly impact the other, particularly in the agribusiness and manufacturing sectors. Brigid describes how Minnesota's urban areas benefit economica...
Oct 30, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this week's episode, Ellen talks with Tony Pipa senior fellow at the Brookings Institution about the significance of rural policy and its outdated approaches. Tony discusses the essential role rural areas play in providing energy, food, and manufacturing for urban centers, emphasizing the need for a cohesive national rural strategy. Tony also highlights the Reimagining Rural Initiative at Brookings, which seeks to modernize rural policy. He underscores the importance of understanding rural-ur...
Oct 23, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode, Ellen talks with Brian Dabson, a rural policy researcher, and one of the few analysts exploring rural-urban interdependence in the United States. Brian explains the significance of rural-urban interdependence as being essential for economic and social development. He shares the limitations of current definitions for rural and urban and the need for refined metrics, research, and policies to truly capture the value of rural spaces, particularly in the face of climate change. Insi...
Oct 16, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, Ellen talks with Nadine Bill, Executive Director of Red Lake Nation College's new site in downtown Minneapolis. Nadine shares the college's history, its commitment to language and cultural preservation, and the new Minneapolis site's objectives to expand education access to urban Indigenous communities. Nadine talks about Red Lake Nation College's goal to create a 'tribal college without borders,' addressing accessibility, and engaging both rural and urban Native students. She d...
Oct 09, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode, Ellen connects with Jane Leonard, former president of Growth & Justice. Jane has worked across various sectors in Minnesota since 1979, including journalism, rural and economic development, and technology advancement. Jane shares her experiences from her early days as a journalist in a small town to leading statewide initiatives focused on rural development and rural-urban interdependence. She discusses the changing dynamics between rural and urban areas over the decades, hi...
Oct 02, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode, artist and rapper Che "Rhymfest" Smith discusses his experiences growing up in Chicago and his transformative experiences in Cody, Wyoming. Che reflects on how art can foster cultural communion and play a key role in bridging differences. Episode Highlights: 02:15 Che's Chicago Roots and Early Influences 06:45 Founding the Art of Culture 12:42 Cultural Communion and Rural Connections 14:22 Experiences in Cody, Wyoming 18:59 Bridging Rural and Urban Spaces 30:10 Running for Chica...
Sep 25, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, Ellen talks with Julie Tesch from the Center for Rural Policy and Development and Jake Loesch from Citizens League. Julie and Jake discuss their "Interconnected" conversation series, which explores shared challenges between rural and urban communities and opportunities for designing effective statewide systems. Since 2020, the Interconnected series has covered topics such as childcare, workforce development, housing, and most recently, youth mental health. Julie and Jake share i...
Sep 18, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 4
R. T. Rybak and Tuleah Palmer lead the most urban and rural Minnesota foundations. They both wrote editorials in the Star Tribune in 2023 about the importance of rural-urban interdependence in Minnesota. In this conversation, Ellen Wolter moderates a discussion between Tuleah and R.T. about the intricate interdependence between rural and urban Minnesota. They delve into personal stories, economic insights, historical context, and the shared commitments needed to foster cohesive policy developmen...
Sep 11, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode, Ellen interviews Nick Jacobs, co-author of "The Rural Voter," about the nuances of rural America and how they are often overlooked when we consider the complex relationship between rural and urban spaces. They discuss the methodology behind Nick’s research and the challenges of surveying rural populations. They also delve into "rural resentment" and the persistent misconceptions about rural and urban communities, despite examples of shared commonalities. Episode Highlights: 01:0...
Sep 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In our first episode, former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, now Director of University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics (IOP), discusses the vital connections between rural and urban America. She shares her experiences growing up in a small town and explains the goals behind IOPs recent Bridging the Divide conference to bring rural and urban Americans together. The conversation touches on the importance of authentic storytelling and the ways in which rural and urban spaces need each other. Episo...
Aug 28, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Side-by-Side definition: 1. beside one another 2. in the same place, time, or circumstance. What does it mean for rural and urban communities to live side by side? Rural sociologists have described urban and rural fates as being shared. Yet, we too often focus on rural and urban spaces as separate and divided entities. The rural-urban conversation is much more complex than we are led to believe. To prosper together, we will need to better understand how rural and urban communities are connected,...
Aug 09, 2024•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1
