The Rural Livability Project

News and Updates

Opening slide for Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference 2025 presentation
In the Community: Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
Tessa Conroy, Steven Deller, and Danielle Schmidt presented their research at the second annual Connecting Entrepreneurial Community conference, held in Wisconsin Rapids. Hailed as the…
City skyscrapers reaching up into a blue sky.
New Publication: Labor Shortages, Productivity, and Economic Growth in Wisconsin
Mckenzie Boyce and Steven Deller published new research in the UW Extension WIndicator series outlining Wisconsin struggles with heightened labor shortages. They advise communities should…
A sign announcing a home for sale is posted outside a home, Feb. 1, 2024, in Aceworth, Ga., near Atlanta. Mike Stewart/AP File Photo
Media Mention: Erin Gaede and Steven Deller quoted in WPR
Erin Gaede and Steven Deller were quoted in a WPR article featuring their work with Tessa Conroy on rising housing costs and delayed medical care.…
a row of homes on Highland Boulevard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Media Mention: Urban Milwaukee
Urban Milwaukee featured Erin Gaede, Tessa Conroy, and Steven Deller’s work on housing stress and health.
The Rural Livability Project logo
New Publication: Are We at an Inflection Point in Community Economic Development?
Steven Deller’s latest publication in Economic Development Quarterly explores the possibility of a new era in community economic development: the fourth wave. He writes, “Within…
Dramatic aerial shot of Madison, Wisconsin that shows the square and isthmus from the southeast. Lake Mendota on the left and Lake Monona on the right.
New Publication: The Impact of Housing Financial Stress on Community Well-Being
Read the latest from Erin Gaede, Tessa Conroy, and Steven Deller on housing stress and health! In a mixed-methods study approach, they find high housing…
A crowd of Eau Claire, Wisconsin residents gather on blankets to watch an outdoor concert.
Media Mention: VolumeOne features Eau Claire Prosperity Index findings
Online news outlet VolumeOne recently featured findings from Danielle Schmidt, Tessa Conroy, and Steven Deller in an article discussing how Eau Claire fared on the…
Aerial shot of a farm in Wisconsin. The farm buildings include a red barn, three silos, a shed for animals, a third red building, and a farmhouse.
New Publication: Understanding Wisconsin Prosperity in the National Context
A new publication in the UW Extension WIndicator series reports findings from the Rural Livability Project’s Prosperity Index. In the study, Danielle Schmidt, Tessa Conroy,…
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