Exchange program aims to bridge rural-urban gap in Ky.

Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange participants do a square dance in Harlan County. (RUX photo)

Today the cultural, political and economic divide between rural and urban areas is as wide as it has ever been -- even in a state like Kentucky where many urban residents have rural roots. But bringing rural and urban residents together can help bridge that gap.

"That’s the idea behind the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange, a program that brings together leaders in diverse fields from across the state," Sarah Baird reports for CityLab. "Over the course of a year, RUX participants go on three weekend-long retreats to strengthen bonds with people from other parts of the state, creating a 'currency of connection' (in the words of RUX organizers) to increase mutual understanding, spark collective problem-solving, and, of course, develop friendships across divides, whether real or perceived." RUX was launched in 2014 by Eastern Kentucky arts group Appalshop and rural culture non-profit Art of the Rural.

The retreats take place in different parts of the state and revolve around activities that emphasize local culture and issues. And while rural residents might not deal with the same issues as urban residents, all participants can find common ground. "In the city, we have a gentrification issue that might not be a rural issue, necessarily. But they have some of the same fallout—like the rent being too high and generational poverty. So we began to really talk about these issues that we thought had totally different causes, and we started to see commonality," said Tanya Torp, a past RUX participant who lives in Lexington.

The genius of the program is that rural residents can be especially skilled in connecting with others, according to Savannah Barrett, an 11th-generation Kentuckian and Art of the Rural's program director. "There’s an interdependence. It’s more natural to look across whatever political or social differences when you have to count on each other. And in the 21st century, when people aren’t really conditioned to connect with one another, that’s a skill everyone needs to learn."