Center for Urban & Regional Affairs - CURA

CURA is hiring a Program Coordinator! This position will provide critical support in implementing CURA's community-based programs, managing program data, and developing effective communications that center and elevate community voices. The Program Coordinator plays an essential role in supporting multiple community initiatives, serving as a connector between university resources and community partners, and ensuring that programs run smoothly and effectively.

UMN Job board ID: 369147. Open until 9/10

See more about the position and apply here: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/369147

2025 Community Mapping Expo: Helping Communities Thrive with GIS – Nonprofit and Government Collaboration

Mark your calendars for August 13th, 2025 – LOGIS is again hosting a mapping expo to bring together nonprofits and government entities to collaborate on projects that promote common good in Minnesota.

Unlock the power of location-based data and access affordable tools. The expo will explore a range of mapping resources, including Minnesota Geospatial Commons, Esri tools and technology from ArcGIS Online and Living Atlas. It is designed to help you, and your communities undertake grassroots change, visualize impact, optimize resources, and make data-driven decisions. Whether you're looking to better understand your community, align funding resources, or measure impact, these tools offer invaluable insights to advance your day-to-day work.

The event is free, and the presenters will include local GIS experts ranging from Minnesota Chief Geospatial Information Officer, ESRI, University of Minnesota Design Center, Trust for Public Land and LOGIS. Register for the expo using this survey link by August 6th, 2025: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/f8be6e5962d349e4a800eb878b17b4c7

Check out last year’s mapping expo highlights captured in this story map:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/86a96e922ce14a65a20bd819b7b97489

Looking for support with data, research, design, or storytelling?

The Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program partners with Twin Cities organizations on projects that build power and advance justice.

▶️ You bring the knowledge, questions, and goals.
▶️ We work with you to shape the project together.
▶️ Our cohort offers research, design, and data support aligned with your goals.

Requests are open now and reviewed weekly. Whether you need a quick data pull or want to explore a deeper collaboration, we’re here to support you.

Submit a request today: https://www.cura.umn.edu/programs/community/research-organizing-and-technical-assistance/kris-nelson-community-based-research-program

From childhood dreams of corporate boardrooms to Brooklyn Park's front lines of housing justice 💼➡️🏡

Meet Denise Butler, Associate Director at African Career, Education and Resource, Inc. (ACER) whose journey shows how community leaders often emerge from the community itself. Growing up in a West African tradition of community care, Denise was already organizing—connecting people to resources, helping neighbors—without even knowing it had a name.

Her transformation from the business world to housing justice advocate wasn't just a career change—it was coming home. Through CURA's Neighborhoods Now! program and authentic partnerships, she's helped create lasting policy change in Brooklyn Park, including mixed-income housing initiatives and anti-displacement work.

"Even if I wasn't working here at ACER, I think I would still be doing something in the community. I was naturally doing it without even knowing the term 'organizing.'" —Denise Butler

Read her full story ➡️ https://www.cura.umn.edu/news/her-mothers-footsteps-brooklyn-parks-front-lines

Make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter at z.umn.edu/curanews to get CURA stories in your inbox.

Park

Farewell to C Terrence Anderson
After several impactful years as CURA's Director of Community Based Research, C Terrence Anderson is leaving CURA to focus on his recently launched coffee business and spend more time with his family. During his tenure, C Terrence led CURA's community programs with work ranging from the Community-Based Research Program, the Blue Line Anti-Displacement Work Group, the St. Paul Rent Stabilization Stakeholder Group, Housing Stability Grants, and the Krusell Fellowship.
C Terrence brought passion and dedication to his role in connecting University resources with community partners, always centering equity and justice in his approach. He was particularly instrumental in developing CURA's Racial Equity Framework, which demands that CURA's research work is contextualized, community-centered, and reparative. As he moves into his next chapter, we're grateful for C Terrence's exceptional leadership and the lasting impact of his work with CURA's community partners.
https://www.cura.umn.edu/news/farewell-c-terrence-anderson

Applications are now open for the 2025 Creative Justice Cohort. ✨
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Creative Justice cohort. This one-year, part-time opportunity embeds emerging Twin Cities-based artists into CURA's community-based research and organizing work. Applications open in July 2025, and the program begins in September 2025.
Creative Justice: Art as Inquiry, Art as Action 🎨 bridges art, organizing, and community-based research by supporting 1–2 emerging artists whose creative practices are rooted in participatory design, visual storytelling, graphic recording, creative communications, or illustration.
Apply by August 15. The cohort begins in September 2025 📅
https://z.umn.edu/creative-justice
For questions, contact Lee Guekguezian at [email protected]