On Tuesday, July 12, NADO Research Foundation sponsored “Rural-Urban Connections in the Sacramento Region,” a webinar exploring how the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is addressing rural growth and development issues in their regional planning processes.  David Shabazian, Senior Planner with SACOG, discussed the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), a look at the region’s growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective.  Through the RUCS framework, SACOG is working with rural residents, businesses, and public agencies to form strategies that enhance the agriculture sector, rural economies, regional and local food systems, resource conservation, and regional sustainability.  Raef Porter, Senior Research Analyst at SACOG, demonstrated in real-time the interactive scenario modeling tools that SACOG is using to broaden understanding of how land use and transportation investments affect rural areas, agriculture production, and the region as a whole.  A recording of the webinar is located here.  SACOG staff will be demonstrating these tools further in an interactive workshop at NADO’s Annual Training Conference in Miami Beach (October 8-11).  This webinar was approved for 1.5 AICP Certification Maintenance credits.