A 30-year legacy of community-based impact in New York State
Founded in 1990, the Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) led Cornell’s response to current and emerging needs in community, rural and regional development for thirty years. Working with an extensive and diverse network of partners including Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell faculty, policymakers and community partners, CaRDI fostered trust and informed decision-making on social and environmental issues at the local, regional, and state level in support of Cornell University’s civic engagement and Land Grant mission. Via applied research, trainings, seminars and workshops, publication series, and critical engagement with policymakers and practitioners, CaRDI’s impactful applied research and outreach worked to strengthen the capacity, resiliency, and sustainability of communities in New York State.
In 2020, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell created the Department of Global Development to foster critical interdisciplinary research, teaching, and extension focused on the many urgent development challenges of our time. While “CaRDI” as an Institute was retired, the applied and engaged approaches used by CaRDI over the past three decades in focal areas such as food systems, energy transitions, demographics, environmental sustainability, community & economic development, etc., will be leveraged within this new local-global framework, as well as by new collaborative opportunities with a broad array of disciplinary perspectives. A key feature of the Department of Global Development will be an emphasis on engagement – between students, practitioners, communities, researchers, and policymakers - both in New York State and around the globe. This approach builds on the strong engagement legacy of CaRDI, with appreciated acknowledgement of our extensive network of stakeholders, partners, and collaborators.
We look forward to strengthening these partnerships as we continue developing the new Global Development project. The Cornell Farmworker Program, Lead NY, Rust2Green, and the Rural Schools Association will continue on as programs within Global Development. hmm1 [at] cornell.edu (Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman), dlk2 [at] cornell.edu (David Kay), and rmb18 [at] cornell.edu (Robin Blakely-Armitage) will focus their efforts on building initiatives that contribute to engaged learning, engaged research, and engaged policy and practice opportunities in the new unit. We invite you to be part of this new initiative, and to reach out to us with questions or ideas for collaboration. For more general questions, please contact mmh285 [at] cornell.edu (Matt Hayes), Director for Communications for Global Development. Previous CaRDI resources will be archived and available on the new department website later this fall. We will keep you up to date on publications, workshops, seminars, research projects, student engagement opportunities, and more, via new communication methods which you will have the choice to receive or not. Thank you for your contributions to CaRDI initiatives over the years; we are excited to write the next chapter with you.
Explore more from CaRDI
Connect with the CaRDI team in the Department of Global Development
Senior Extension Associate and Department Extension Lead
Department of Global Development
Robin Blakely-Armitage
- (607) 254-6795
- rmb18 [at] cornell.edu
Community And Regional Development
Community Resilience And Disaster Risk
Demographic Trends
David Kay
- (607) 255-2123
- dlk2 [at] cornell.edu
Community & Economic Development
Community, Energy Transitions & Climate Change
Governance & Conflict Resolution
Education Minor Coordinator and Senior Extension Associate
Department of Global Development
Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman
- (607) 255-0417
- hmm1 [at] cornell.edu
Community development
Civic engagement
Engaged learning and research
CaRDI's Impact
As engineering faculty interested in sustainability, CaRDI has enabled me to bring a systems view of energy uses to communities in a way that I would not otherwise have been able to do….with the implications of shale gas development, community energy choices, and biomass heating. CaRDI helped me connect to interested communities...and navigate the political and social factors in communities moving toward sustainability. I believe this helped communities to work toward sustainability and it certainly broadened my perspectives.Al George, Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Cornell
CaRDI has been a valuable resource for me over the years… bringing greater sophistication to the analysis of municipal data. Sharing results back-and-forth has led to greater insights and better data products. Additionally, the State-of Upstate Conferences have been helpful in bringing a variety of viewpoints together to focus on critical statewide issues.Janet Mayo, NYS Office of the Comptroller
The Community and Regional Development Institute at Cornell University has been an invaluable asset for town officials seeking to make informed public policy decisions. From agriculture to workforce development, CaRDI has provided direct assistance through seminars, policy briefs, articles, workshops and round tables on a wide range of topics affecting towns throughout NYS.Christopher Anderson, Director of Research, Association of Towns of the State of New York
The NYS Water Resources Institute has been fortunate to have worked with CARDI on shale gas and water infrastructure issues. CARDI’s involvement helped us to understand and address these issues from a community development perspective, and has facilitated presentation of a wide range of Cornell faculty research on sustainable water infrastructure, as well as contributed to this research through assessment of New York’s Smart Growth Act.Susan Riha, Professor, Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell
CaRDI Community Development Institutes, 2013-2019
Partners: the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Rust2Green, and Cornell University's Office of Engagement Initiatives.
Day 1: October 23, 2019
- Welcoming Remarks by Robin Blakely-Armitage, Program Manager & Senior Extension Associate, CaRDI
- The View at 30,000 Feet - Demographic, Policy & Practice Challenges with presentations by Presenters: Daniel Lichter, Professor, Policy Analysis & Management, Cornell University; Wade Beltramo General Counsel, New York Conference of Mayors; Aaron Bartley Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo
- Structural and Spatial Inequalities with Keynote Presenter: Mehrsa Baradaran, Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine and Author, Jim Crow Credit, and The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap
- Impacts on Economic Revitalization - Trends, Strategies & Resources with Moderator Jill Casey, Senior Community Planning & Development Representative, Training & Technical Assistance Coordinator, US HUD, Buffalo and Presenters: Russell Weaver Economic Geographer, School of Industrial and Labor Relations Buffalo Co-Lab, Cornell University; Betsey Hale, President, Three Rivers Development Corporation and Foundation Member, Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council Jennifer Herrick, Executive Director, Elmira Downtown Development, Inc.
- Impacts on Community Health & Well-Being with Moderator: J. Caroline Williams, Project Manager for Strategic Initiatives at the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties and Presenters: Nancy Wells, Professor, Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University; Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Director, Community Engagement Core, Environmental Health Sciences Center & Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center; and Samantha Hillson Director of Health Promotion, Tompkins County Health Department
- Impacts on Community Crime and Safety with Moderator & Presenter: Matt Perkins Senior Program Officer, LISC National Safety and Justice Program and Presenters: Captain Henry Remolina, Captain, Providence, Rhode Island Police Department and Alejandro Gimenez-Santana, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, and Director, Newark Public Safety Collaborative
Day 2: October 24, 2019
- From Zombies & Vacants to Sustainable Housing: Issues, Strategies & Resources with Moderator: Helene Caloir, Director, LISC - New York State Housing Stabilization Fund and Presenters: Dina Levy, Senior Vice President of Single Family and Community Development, New York State Housing & Community Renewal; Stephanie Pasquale, Commissioner, Department of Neighborhoods & Business Development, City of Syracuse and Jason Knight, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, SUNY Buffalo State
- Climate Change Impacts on Housing & Community Resiliency with Moderator: David Kay, Sr. Extension Assoc., CaRDI, Development Sociology, Cornell University and Presenters: Sam Magavern, Senior Policy Fellow, Partnership for the Public Good, Suzanne Barclay, Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Rockland County, Jane Brogan, Chief Policy & Research Officer, NYS Governor's Office of Storm Recovery, and Jamie Vanucchi Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, Cornell University
- Lunch Presentation Video with Michael Saminsky, Data Engineer, Tolemi (BuildingBlocks Data Analysis Platform) and Sam Wells, Neighborhood Stabilization Coordinator, City of Albany
- Nonprofit, Land Bank and Municipality Success Stories with Moderators: Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman, Senior Extension Associate, CaRDI, Development Sociology, Cornell University; Dhyana Kuhl Gonzalez, NYS Partnership Liaison, Office of Engagement Initiatives, Cornell University and Presenters: Christine Marino, Department of Community Development, City of Niagara Falls; Diane Shoemaker; Development Specialist, Rust to Green Utica; Juliet Berling, Director of Planning, Housing & Community Development, Binghamton; Gina Paradis Executive Director, Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation; and Barbara Nelson Executive Director, Troy Architecture Practice (TAP), Inc.
- Action Roundtables
Day 1: October 11, 2018
- Toward a Collaborative Approach to Flood Risk & Resiliency
- Equitable Community Engagement in Climate Resilience Planning
- Policy Responses to Flood Risk & Resiliency
- Community-Based Flood Risk Research – Part 1
- Actionable Strategies for Reducing Flood Risk: Collaboration, Policy, Planning (Jamie Vanucchi, Stevie Adams, Shelly Johnson-Bennett, James Knighton, Jared Enriquez)
Day 2: October 12, 2018
- Financing Flood Resilience
- Tools & Technical Planning Resources
- Community-Based Flood Risk Research – Part 2
- Design with People & Place: Engaged Research in the Climate-Adaptive Design Studio
- Community Cultural Perspectives on Resilience: Rust2Green Binghamton
- Outreach Strategies & Climate Change Communication
- Resilient by Design: Hazard Science and Public Policy
How do global trends in immigration, climate change, fiscal stress, food systems, and inequality impact local communities? How are communities in New York State responding? What new research, policies & practices enhance community sustainability?
Read more about this Institute in the Cornell Chronicle
Day 1: September 28, 2017
- Setting the Context – Global Trends, Local Impacts (Part one, two and three)
- Global Trends, Local Impacts: The Role of the University, Max Pfeffer
- University-Community Collaborations for Local Impact, John Sipple
- Growing Inequality in New York State: Income & Education (part one, two, three, four and five) Moderated by Gretchen Rymarchyk
- Poverty and the American Dream: Trends in New York State, Tom Hirschl
- Community-based Poverty Reduction Efforts: the Stoplight Program, Andy Fagan, Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tioga and Chemung Counties, and co-Chair of the Poverty Program Work Team and Carol Houssock, Senior Administrator, Chemung County Cooperative Extension & Poverty Reduction Coalition
- The Growing Divide in Educational Access & Outcomes, John Sipple
- Race, Economics and Achievement: Perspectives from Schenectady, Larry Spring, Superintendent of Schools, Schenectady City School District
- Climate Change: Impacts on New York State Communities (Part one, two, three, four and five) moderated by David L. Kay
- The Value of Information: Tailoring Science for Decision-Making, Scott Steinschneider, Assistant Professor, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
- Tailoring Tools for Climate Adaptation Planning, Mary Austerman, Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist, New York Sea Grant Institute, Wayne County Cooperative Extension
- Supporting Leadership in Climate Adaptation: Community Challenges & Successes Libby Zemaitis, Climate Outreach Specialist, Hudson River Estuary Program, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and Water Resources Institute, Cornell University
- Impacts of Migration in New York State: Domestic and International (Part one, two, three, four, five and six) moderated by David L. Kay
- Trends in Immigration to New York State, Matthew Hall, Associate Professor, Policy Analysis & Management & Training Director, Cornell Population Center
- Collaborating with Latino Families in Rural Communities, Mary Jo Dudley
- Opportunities and Challenges for Tompkins County’s Immigrants and Refugees, Sue Chaffee, Director, Immigrant Services Program, Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga
- Implications of Age-Specific Migration: A Focus on Youth, Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman
Day 2: September 29, 2017
- Local Fiscal Stress: What are the causes? What can be done? (Part one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine)
- Local Government Reactions to Fiscal Stress - 2017 Survey Results, Mildred Warner, Professor, City & Regional Planning, Cornell University and Austin Aldag, Masters Student, City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
- Building Sustainable Food Systems in New York State (part one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight) moderated by Anu Rangarajan, Director, Cornell Small Farm Program, Cornell University
- Impacts of Food Hubs & Other Local Food Efforts: A Research Perspective. Todd M. Schmit, Associate Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management, Cornell
- Acting Together: Cultivating & Fostering Change through Creative University-Community Partnerships (Part one, two, three, four and five) with presentation by Paula Horrigan Professor Emerita Landscape Architecture, Rust to Green, Cornell University and Shorna B. Allred Associate Professor & Associate Director, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University
The 2015 theme was Strong Families ↔ Strong Communities. Cornell Cooperative Extension co-sponsored the two-day event, which featured presentations and discussions about innovative community projects & the latest research and policies focused on supporting strong families, strong communities, and the connections between them. Click here to read the Cornell Chronicle article about the Institute.
Key questions we addressed together included:
- How do changing social & economic trends affect our families and communities?
- How can we better link efforts to build family and community capacity?
- What new ideas are emerging in research, policy, and practice?
Day 1: July 14, 2015
Session 1: The Changing Social & Economic Landscape
- The Changing Composition of New York State Communities, Robin Blakely-Armitage, Senior Extension Associate, Community & Regional Development Institute (CARDI) and Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University
- Poverty, Economic Hardship, and Resilient Families, Tom Hirschl, Co-author “Chasing the American Dream”, and Professor, Development Sociology, Cornell University
- Community-Level Challenges and Opportunities, Erik Fix, Regional Director, United Way of Genesee County
Session 2: Community Supports for Working Parents
- Federal Policy Initiatives, Sarah Clark (moderator), Deputy State Director, Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Impacts of Maternal Employment on Children, Rachel Dunifon, Professor, Department of Policy Analysis & Management, and Associate Dean for Research & Outreach, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
- Childcare: Social Infrastructure for Economic Development, Mildred Warner, Professor, Department of City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
Session 3: Innovative Strategies for Community Well-Being (part 1)
- STEPS - Seneca Towns Engaging People for Solutions, Ave Bauder, Executive Director Cornell Cooperative Extension, Seneca County and Theresa Lahr, STEPS Project Coordinator, S2AY Rural Health Network
- SOAR - Strengthening our Area Residents (slides included in STEPS presentation), Sandi Bastedo, Creating Healthy Places Coordinator, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Wayne County
Session 4: Fiscally Stressed Local Governments, Communities & Families
- Shifting the Burden: National, State and Local Funding, John Sipple, Associate Professor, Department of Development Sociology, and Director, NYS Center for Rural Schools
- Post-Recession Strategies for Families, Vicki Bogan, Director, Institute for Behavioral and Household Finance, and Associate Professor, Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management, Cornell University
Session 5: Innovative Strategies for Community Well-Being (part 2)
- School-Based Health Clinics: Challenges and Opportunities for Communities and Families, Jane Hamilton, RN, Manager, School-Based Health Bassett Healthcare Network and Kerri LaBlanc, MD, Director, School-Based Health Bassett Healthcare Network
- The Family Reading Partnership: Creating a Culture of Literacy, Brigid Hubberman, Executive Director, Family Reading Partnership
Wednesday July 15th, 2015
Session 1: Navigating Cultural Differences
- Working with Latino Families in Rural Communities, Mary Jo Dudley, Director, Cornell Farmworker Program, and Senior Extension Associate, Community & Regional Development Institute (CaRDI)
- Opportunities and Challenges for Refugee Families in Upstate New York, Shelly Callahan, Executive Director, Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees
Session 2: Using Data and Indicators for Community Development
- NYS CORe Initiative: Leveraging Data and Empowering Residents for Neighborhood Success, Nora Yates, Director, CORe Initiative, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Albany, NY
- Asset-Based Approaches to Community Development: Adding Metrics to Measure Impact , Deborah Puntenney, Research Associate Professor, Asset-Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University
- Community Wellbeing Indicators in an International Context (no slides), Yunji Kim, PhD Candidate, Department of City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
Session 3: Innovative Strategies for Community Well-being (part 3)
- Project HOPE - Rochester, Miguel Melendez, Director, Project HOPE, Rocheste
- The Role of Recreation & Youth Services in the Community, Liz Vance, Director, Ithaca Youth Bureau, City of Ithaca
- Community-Based Workforce Development Initiatives (single PPT slide), Nagiane Lacka Arriaza, Program Coordinator, Hospitality Employment Training Program, Greater Ithaca Activities Center
Session 4: Mapping Community Linkages & Cross-agency Collaborations
- Network Mapping/Community Agency Linkages: Strengthening Families & Communities, Laurie Miller, Associate Director for Public Engagement, Cornell Institute for Public Affairs and Nancy Potter, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tompkins County
- Planning Across Generations, Mildred Warner, Professor, Department of City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
Is water resources infrastructure a critical piece of community development? A combination of factors are increasing pressure on local and regional water resources infrastructure – reduced federal assistance, increased local fiscal stress, increased susceptibility to climatic events, and the concern over water supply and quality – underscoring the need for sustainable community development strategies and policies that address these issues from a variety of perspectives.
The 2014 Community Development Institute will bring together a diverse group of local government officials (elected, appointed, & staff), CCE Educators, practitioners, economic developers, community leaders, and University and college faculty in the region.
The 2014 Institute is co-sponsored by the Cornell University’s Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) and NYS Water Resources Institute. The institute will focus on water resource infrastructure, economic vitality and smart growth. Over the two-day period, participants will engage in dynamic discussions and workshops to promote informed decision-making in support of sustainable community and economic development, support innovation and forge new partnerships, improve regional water quality, integrate scientific, economic, planning, governmental and social expertise, and to build comprehensive strategies for public asset and watershed management.
CaRDI’s Community Development Institute: Informed Communities, Informed Decision focused on critical pieces of the community development process, and was designed for a diverse audience of local government and school officials, CCE Educators, practitioners, and other community leaders.
Topics addressed included: framing the various approaches to community development; how recent socioeconomic and demographic trends impact NYS communities; resources for accurate community-level data; the role of leadership in strengthening community capacity; and how these approaches and resources can lead to informed decision-making. Special sessions focused on supporting recent initiatives in agriculture and food systems, community and energy, shared municipal and school services, and regional community and economic development.
Over the two-day period, participants engaged in dynamic discussions, exercises, and trainings which form the heart of CaRDI’s mission – to promote informed decision-making in support of sustainable community and economic development. Select presentations from CaRDI’s Community Development Institute: Informed Communities, Informed Decision event are available.
- Agenda
- Changing Composition of Upstate NY Communities
David L. Brown & Robin Blakely-Armitage - Leadership, Community Capacity, and Resiliency
Larry Van De Valk, Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman and Rod Howe - Shared Municipal Services: Results and Discussion
George Homsy, John W. Sipple and Bruce Fraser - Tools and Resources for Demographic Data
Robin Blakely-Armitage