Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota

What Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota does

CURA is a university-based research and community engagement center founded in 1968 and housed at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Minneapolis. It operates a coordinated portfolio of programs including the Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program, Community Assistantship Program, Community Geographic Information Systems (CGIS), Neighborhoods Now!, Creative Justice, the Hennepin-University Partnership, the Resilient Communities Project, the Community Action Research Grant, the Fesler-Lampert Chair, and the Charles R. Krusell Fellowship. Its underlying technology is community-based research methodology combined with GIS, spatial analysis, and data visualization tools (StoryMaps, infographics, dashboards). It does not build commercial software products; its deliverables are research outputs, maps, trainings, and grant-funded community projects.

CURA is funded through University of Minnesota core institutional allocations layered with grants from approximately 15 external funders, and operates as a grant-making and technical-assistance provider rather than a fee-for-service entity. It channels small grants (Community Action Research Grants up to $45,000; Creative Justice grants of $8,000), fellowship stipends, and student wages ($27.95/hour) to community organizations, faculty, students, and emerging artists. Customer segments include community-based nonprofits, local government agencies (notably Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota Department of Commerce), UMN faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and emerging Twin Cities artists.

In 2024, CURA completed 141 projects with 214 student participants across 29 university departments and programs, partnered with 151 community and government organizations, and held 56 events. Geographic reach spans the Twin Cities Metro (90 projects), Greater Minnesota (13), statewide (35), and a small number of projects outside Minnesota (3). The center is nationally recognized for its university-community partnership model and has received awards including the 2024 G. Thomas Kingsley Impact Award from NNIP, the 2026 Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award from UAA, and the 2024 Unsung Hero Award from NCBDA.

Name

Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota

Legal name

Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), University of Minnesota

Website

https://cura.umn.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CURA is a 1968-established University of Minnesota research center that runs community-based research, GIS mapping, neighborhood organizing, and grant programs serving nonprofits, local governments, faculty, students, and emerging artists across Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Research Center

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers) (EDALABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Community-based research
• University research center
• GIS mapping services
• Community organizing training
• Applied research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University of Minnesota Core Funding: Core institutional funding from the University of Minnesota as a center within the university system
2. External Grant Funding: Funding from 15 external funders supporting various community research programs and projects
3. Grantmaking to Community Organizations: CURA provides small grants to community-based organizations, neighborhoods, and artists to generate solutions and create opportunities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CURA is a university research center that connects University of Minnesota faculty, graduate students, and staff with Minnesota-based community organizations, neighborhood groups, and local government agencies to produce community-driven applied research. It delivers technical assistance (including GIS mapping and data visualization), small grants, fellowships, cohort-based organizing training (Neighborhoods Now!), artist residencies (Creative Justice), and strategic partnerships such as the Hennepin-University Partnership and Resilient Communities Project.

Product overview

CURA is a university research center offering a coordinated portfolio of community engagement programs and research services. The core offerings include community-based research programs (Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program, Community Assistantship Program), neighborhood organizing training (Neighborhoods Now!, Neighborhood Leadership and Organizing), and data visualization services (Community Geographic Information Systems). CURA also administers grant programs (Community Action Research Grant, Fesler-Lampert Chair, Charles R. Krusell Fellowship), manages government partnerships (Hennepin-University Partnership, Resilient Communities Project), and publishes research (CURA Reporter, CURA Stories). The Creative Justice program adds creative/artistic capacity to the research and organizing portfolio. Together, these programs align University of Minnesota resources with community-driven needs for research, technical assistance, and organizing support across Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP): A strategic alignment between Minnesota's largest county and its land-grant university, catalyzing and supporting partnerships that advance knowledge, inform policy, and spark change to enrich the lives of Hennepin County residents.
• Resilient Communities Project (RCP)
• Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program
• Community Assistantship Program (CAP)
• Community Geographic Information Systems (CGIS)
• Creative Justice
• Community Action Research Grant (CARG)
• Charles R. Krusell Fellowship in Community Development
• Neighborhoods Now!

Products and services

• Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program Connects University of Minnesota graduate students with community-based organizations for high-quality, community-guided applied research in the Twin Cities metro area, supporting projects that build community power and advance racial, economic, and environmental equity.
• Community Assistantship Program Connects Greater Minnesota communities to the University of Minnesota through community-driven, applied research, matching organizational research needs with student research assistants.
• Community Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) Provides analysis and mapping support to empower community-based organizations and government agencies to make data-driven cases, democratizing access to public information through spatial analysis and visualization.
• Community Action Research Grant Supports interactive public policy research between University of Minnesota faculty and community organizations or government agencies in Minnesota, with up to $45,000 in funding per project.
• Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs Endowed chair providing one year of support for University of Minnesota faculty research on urban and regional affairs in Minnesota, funded by the David and Elizabeth Fesler endowment.
• Hennepin-University Partnership Strategic alignment between University of Minnesota and Hennepin County conducting joint research, sharing expertise, providing student field experiences, and sharing best practices about large institution operations.
• Resilient Communities Project Connects local government agencies in Minnesota with University faculty and students to advance community resilience and student learning through collaborative, course-based projects.
• Creative Justice: Art as Inquiry, Art as Action One-year program embedding emerging Twin Cities artists into CURA's community-based research and organizing work, supporting artists with $33/hour pay, $8,000 project grants, mentorship, and training to advance equity through creative practice.
• Neighborhoods Now! Innovative community educational series strengthening individuals and organizations working in neighborhoods to organize for racial equity and economic justice, with four one-day training sessions and mentorship.
• Charles R. Krusell Fellowship in Community Development Fellowship providing full tuition support and graduate research assistantships for historically underrepresented students at the Humphrey School pursuing careers in housing and community development.
• Community Programs Grants Grant programs increasing engagement, power and influence of community members affected by racial, social and economic disparities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 141 projects completed in 2024 alone with 214 student participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCURA's Community Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) program is a partner of NNIP, a learning network coordinated by the Urban Institute, with independent organizations in 30 cities sharing the mission to ensure all communities have access to data and skills to use information to advance equity.
• Hennepin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP) is a strategic alignment between Minnesota's largest county and the University of Minnesota, promoting more effective local government through joint research, shared expertise, student field experiences, and best practices sharing.
• State of Minnesota Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership on the Weatherization Assistance Program, developing maps and dashboards highlighting home weatherization efforts in Minnesota with focus on equity, in partnership with Humphrey School's Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy program.
• Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpring 2026 project partner for Turning the Tide on Flooding in the Cannon River Watershed, creating StoryMaps and dashboards for flood mitigation planning.
• Southeast Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cannon River Watershed project, providing project management and technical guidance.
• Humphrey School of Public AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on multiple programs including Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) for weatherization work, Charles R. Krusell Fellowship, and Fesler-Lampert Chair endowment.
• Family Housing FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research partnership on single-family rental housing, including multi-phase tenant survey research and portfolio conversion studies.
• Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with RSDP at University of Minnesota Extension to coordinate Community Assistantship Program project submission and selection for Greater Minnesota communities.

Scale indicators11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Major policy research institution producing urban and economic policy research. Overlaps in urban research domain but operates at a much broader national scale and is not community-engaged in the same way as CURA.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Large national community development organization financing and supporting neighborhood revitalization. Comparable in community development focus but operates at far greater geographic scale and with capital deployment rather than research.

Direct peers

• PolicyLink: National research and advocacy organization advancing racial and economic equity through community-driven policy work. Comparable in community-equity framing and mission alignment with CURA's organizing focus.
• NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy: University-based research center producing data-driven housing and urban policy research. Comparable as an academic research hub producing applied neighborhood-level analyses for policymakers.
• The Urban Institute: National policy research organization that coordinates NNIP, of which CURA's CGIS program is a partner. Both conduct community-relevant research with equity framing and share data-to-action methodologies.
• UC Berkeley Institute of Urban and Regional Development: University-based research center on urban and regional planning, transportation, and community development. Comparable in operating model as a university center conducting applied community-focused research.
• UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies: UCLA-affiliated research center focusing on regional policy, housing, and immigration. Comparable as a university-based urban research center producing policy-relevant analysis.
• Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research: University-based research center on urban policy, housing, and economic development. Comparable as an established academic urban research center producing applied policy work.
• MIT Community Innovators Lab (CoLab): MIT-based center supporting community-based research, planning, and economic development. Comparable as a university-hosted center for community-engaged research and action.

Emerging players

• MIT Urban Risk Lab: MIT-based research initiative on urban resilience and risk with community-focused projects. Comparable as a university-based urban research initiative but with a more specialized climate/resilience focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/curaumn
• Facebookfacebook.com/curaumn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curaumn
• Instagraminstagram.com/curaumn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota