North Carolina is becoming increasingly urbanized, with its population growing and becoming more diverse and younger. While cities differ from rural areas, they are not deficient. This document discusses how NC Cooperative Extension needs to plan for an increasingly urban future and provide relevance in both urban and rural counties, with resources and extension centers that represent the best of what it offers to both interdependent areas. It highlights several major metro areas in NC that Extension should prepare to support through the population booms of the coming decades.

1. Cooperative Extension in the City NC Cooperative Extension State Advisory Council June, 5, 2007

2. A world more urban than rural

3. North Carolina Growing 2006 Population: 8,860,341 10 th largest state * 2010 Population: 9,349,175 7 th largest state

4. We Live in Cities Metro populations in the south increased 45% since 1980 3 out of 4 Southerners live in Cities

5. North Carolina: Model of the New South

7. Different is not Deficient Younger More diverse Fewer North Carolina Born

8. Different, not Deficient Fewer Homeowners Poor, but more educated Work Away from Home

9. Education

10. Poverty

11. Cooperative Extension: Plan for an Urban Future Relevance in urban counties as in rural counties Citizens see the interdependency of rural/urban assets Urban core Extension Centers are representative of the best we have to offer Prepare transitioning counties for population boom of the next decade.

12. Wilmington

13. The Triad

14. The Triangle

15. Asheville

16. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord

17. HELP!! One State of urban & rural communities Interdependent upon each other Different, but not Deficient Resources we can Share