Laura Ryser
Biographic Data
| ID | 2336639 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Laura Ryser |
| GIVEN NAMES | Laura |
| FAMILY NAME | Ryser |
| SIGNATURE | RYSER L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Northern British Columbia |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2988-4132 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 140 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 31 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Reluctant entrepreneurs or embracing marketization: The governance of municipal entrepreneurialism for community development in rural Canada
A home to grow old in”: The challenge of non-metropolitan housing to support healthy ageing-in-place
Municipal entrepreneurialism: Exploring New Fiscal Levers for Small Municipalities
Municipal reform has accelerated since the 1980s, with municipalities learning to adjust to changes in responsibilities downloaded by senior governments. However, small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and jurisdictional structures as senior governments ask them to become more ‘entrepreneurial’ for a broader range of responsibilities. To date, little research has explored the influence of statutory settings that shape municipal pow…
Be careful what you wish for: Resource boomtowns and disillusionment in the Surat Basin
Tensions between municipal reform and outdated fiscal levers in rural British Columbia
Debates about the future of small municipalities in Canada are set against a backdrop of economic, political, and social restructuring processes that have displaced former state investment policies in favour of neoliberal public policy approaches. Small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and governance structures and a provincial public policy agenda that asks them to become more creative, innovative, and “entrepreneurial” in their a…
The socio-spatial politics of royalties and their distribution: A case study of the Surat Basin, Queensland
This paper is concerned with the socio-spatial and ethical politics of redistribution, specifically the allocation of natural resources rents from political and economic cores to the economic and geographical peripheries whence the resource originated. Based on a case study of the coal seam gas sector in Queensland's Surat Basin, this paper focuses on the operation of the Queensland State Government's regional development fund for mining and ener…
Neither prepared nor transformed: Institutional responses to unconventional oil and gas development in Australian and Canadian communities
The “politics of method” in volatile settings: Research with mobile workers in rural resource regions
Research in contentious and fluctuating political and economic conditions presents many challenges. Given the potential for the politicization of research in an era where information is rapidly changing, there is pressure to consider pathways to ensure quality and transparent research. This perspective builds upon a tradition of considering the methodological implications associated with conducting research within volatile settings. The paper ref…
Neglected Transportation Infrastructure: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Russian State in a Small Siberian Oil Town
Verkhnemarkovo, a small Siberian town located on an oil field in Russia’s Irkutsk region, is plagued by bad roads and limited mobility. This article explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility and the wellbeing of individuals and communities, with a focus on transport and mobility infrastructure. Some oil companies, such as Irkutsk Oil Company, are tied to the sustainability standards of international financial institutions.…
Moving from government to governance: Addressing housing pressures during rapid industrial development in Kitimat, BC, Canada
In resource-based communities, housing can be a contributing asset or challenge to attracting and retaining workers and families. In Kitimat, BC, Canada, a housing crisis threatened vulnerable, low income, and middle income residents during a period of rapid growth associated with renewed industrial investments. Even though housing policy and public housing provision falls under provincial government jurisdiction, the crisis response was largely …
Impact of Senior Government Policies on the Renewal of Built Capital for Rural Non-Profits
Changes in rural service provision have been shaped by a shift from state to private and nonprofit service delivery, driven by a neo-liberal policy orientation. As senior governments continue to offload the delivery of services to nonprofit stakeholders in rural regions, state policies often fail to address deficiencies with aging and inappropriate built capital assets. The infrastructure and service deficit undermines the capacity of the nonprof…
Bending the arc of the staples trap: Negotiating rural resource revenues in an age of policy incoherence
Path dependency or investing in place: Understanding the changing conditions for rural resource regions
Restructuring of Rural Governance in a Rapidly Growing Resource Town: The Case of Kitimat, BC, Canada
A new era of industrial development is unfolding in resource-dependent regions. In Canada, the local government context in these regions, however, is very different now than when industrial resource development expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing upon our case study in Kitimat, British Columbia, we highlight transformations associated with neoliberal policies that have affected rural governance. Neoliberal public policy shifts include wider …
Moving from mobility to immobility in the political economy of resource-dependent regions
The increasing prevalence of mobile workers who travel long distances to work presents opportunities and challenges for communities in the new political economy of resource-dependent regions. In an era where workers can increasingly choose where they wish to work and live, this paper explores the efforts of two northern communities, in British Columbia, Canada to capture benefits from resource development by attracting and retaining mobile worker…
New mobile realities in mature staples-dependent resource regions: Local governments and work camps
In resource-dependent regions, work camps have reshaped workforce recruitment and retention strategies and relationships with communities as they are increasingly deployed within municipal boundaries. This has prompted important, but controversial, questions about local government policies and regulations guiding workforce accommodations to support rapid growth in resource regions. Even as mobile workforces become more prevalent, however, few res…
The workers’ perspective: The impacts of long distance labour commuting in a northern Canadian small town
The structural underpinnings impacting rapid growth in resource regions
Opportunities and Challenges to Address Poverty in Rural Regions: A Case Study from Northern BC
Despite neo-liberal policies that have been restructuring and regionalizing supports over the past 30 years, most research on rural poverty has been focused at the community level. Exploring regional approaches to address rural poverty is becoming increasingly important as rural organizations have a limited capacity to respond to this complex issue. New regionalism has been one outcome of neo-liberal policies as regions experiment with different …
Recession Response: Cyclical Problems and Local Solutions in Northern British Columbia
The purpose of this paper is to trace community and regional responses to the economic downturn of 2008/2009 in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Our research during this period (2009–2011), the Northern Economic Vision II (NEV II) project, sought to investigate whether communities in the region were incorporating some of the core findings, lessons from an earlier project, the NEV I project (conducted in 2002–2005), in terms of preparing for bot…
Rapid change in small towns: When Social Capital Collides With Political/Bureaucratic Inertia
Successful community development is usually constructed with “bottom-up” capacity and “top-down” public policy. The synergy between these approaches has been hampered by the transition from a Keynesian to a neoliberal public policy framework. Under the stress of rapid change from major industrial projects, this article examines community development responses in the small town of Kitimat, British Columbia. Using a social capital lens, our finding…
We're in this all together”: Community impacts of long-distance labour commuting
Labour and economic development patterns in rural regions have shifted substantially as a by-product of both economic and political restructuring. An important manifestation of this restructuring has been the growth of long distance labour commuting (LDLC) associated with increased labour flexibility and worker/family preference. In this article, we draw upon research in Mackenzie, British Columbia (BC), Canada, to explore the broader impacts of …
On the Edge in Rural Canada: The Changing Capacity and Role of the Voluntary Sector
Since the 1980s, neoliberal policies have downsized or closed rural and small-town services. In response, voluntary groups have played an increasing role to retain basic supports. How voluntary groups are impacted, and how they react, will affect community development. Drawing upon our research across northern BC and Canada, this article explores the changing role of voluntary groups, with a focus on the structural and institutional barriers impe…
Place integration through efforts to support healthy aging in resource frontier communities: The role of voluntary sector leadership
Emergence, transition, and continuity: Resource commodity production pathways in northeastern British Columbia, Canada
Bending the arc of the staples trap: Negotiating rural resource revenues in an age of policy incoherence
The Deployment of Partnerships by the Voluntary Sector to Address Service Needs in Rural and Small Town Canada
Service restructuring trends since the 1980s have resulted in the downsizing or closure of many services in rural and small town Canada. In response, voluntary groups have been filling some of the emerging service gaps. Services, however, often are directed at complex problems that demand information, support, or assistance from a range of sources and institutions. For voluntary groups, this underscores a need to partner with other groups, organi…
We're in this all together”: Community impacts of long-distance labour commuting
Labour and economic development patterns in rural regions have shifted substantially as a by-product of both economic and political restructuring. An important manifestation of this restructuring has been the growth of long distance labour commuting (LDLC) associated with increased labour flexibility and worker/family preference. In this article, we draw upon research in Mackenzie, British Columbia (BC), Canada, to explore the broader impacts of …
Emergence, transition, and continuity: Resource commodity production pathways in northeastern British Columbia, Canada
The workers’ perspective: The impacts of long distance labour commuting in a northern Canadian small town
Rapid change in small towns: When Social Capital Collides With Political/Bureaucratic Inertia
Successful community development is usually constructed with “bottom-up” capacity and “top-down” public policy. The synergy between these approaches has been hampered by the transition from a Keynesian to a neoliberal public policy framework. Under the stress of rapid change from major industrial projects, this article examines community development responses in the small town of Kitimat, British Columbia. Using a social capital lens, our finding…
The structural underpinnings impacting rapid growth in resource regions
So you're thinking about a retirement industry? Economic and community development lessons from resource towns in northern British Columbia
Many resource-dependent towns in developed economies were designed to attract and retain young workers and their families. Industrial restructuring and public policy changes have weakened the ties between small places and resource sectors. As local governments search for ways to diversify their tax base and economy, some resource towns are looking towards the retirement industry as a way to stabilize revenue and enhance the resilience of their ec…
On the Edge in Rural Canada: The Changing Capacity and Role of the Voluntary Sector
Since the 1980s, neoliberal policies have downsized or closed rural and small-town services. In response, voluntary groups have played an increasing role to retain basic supports. How voluntary groups are impacted, and how they react, will affect community development. Drawing upon our research across northern BC and Canada, this article explores the changing role of voluntary groups, with a focus on the structural and institutional barriers impe…
Path dependency or investing in place: Understanding the changing conditions for rural resource regions
Restructuring of Rural Governance in a Rapidly Growing Resource Town: The Case of Kitimat, BC, Canada
A new era of industrial development is unfolding in resource-dependent regions. In Canada, the local government context in these regions, however, is very different now than when industrial resource development expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing upon our case study in Kitimat, British Columbia, we highlight transformations associated with neoliberal policies that have affected rural governance. Neoliberal public policy shifts include wider …
Municipal entrepreneurialism: Exploring New Fiscal Levers for Small Municipalities
Municipal reform has accelerated since the 1980s, with municipalities learning to adjust to changes in responsibilities downloaded by senior governments. However, small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and jurisdictional structures as senior governments ask them to become more ‘entrepreneurial’ for a broader range of responsibilities. To date, little research has explored the influence of statutory settings that shape municipal pow…
Tensions between municipal reform and outdated fiscal levers in rural British Columbia
Debates about the future of small municipalities in Canada are set against a backdrop of economic, political, and social restructuring processes that have displaced former state investment policies in favour of neoliberal public policy approaches. Small municipalities struggle with outdated financial and governance structures and a provincial public policy agenda that asks them to become more creative, innovative, and “entrepreneurial” in their a…
Neither prepared nor transformed: Institutional responses to unconventional oil and gas development in Australian and Canadian communities
Impact of Senior Government Policies on the Renewal of Built Capital for Rural Non-Profits
Changes in rural service provision have been shaped by a shift from state to private and nonprofit service delivery, driven by a neo-liberal policy orientation. As senior governments continue to offload the delivery of services to nonprofit stakeholders in rural regions, state policies often fail to address deficiencies with aging and inappropriate built capital assets. The infrastructure and service deficit undermines the capacity of the nonprof…
Growing old in resource communities: Exploring the links among voluntarism, aging, and community development
This article addresses the implications of “resource frontier aging” with a particular emphasis on understanding the role of the voluntary sector in supporting older people living in resource hinterland regions, and in sustaining economic and social development in their communities. Informed by recent calls for greater attention to the diverse experiences of rural aging, individually and collectively, and drawing on previous research on voluntari…
Moving from mobility to immobility in the political economy of resource-dependent regions
The increasing prevalence of mobile workers who travel long distances to work presents opportunities and challenges for communities in the new political economy of resource-dependent regions. In an era where workers can increasingly choose where they wish to work and live, this paper explores the efforts of two northern communities, in British Columbia, Canada to capture benefits from resource development by attracting and retaining mobile worker…
Place integration through efforts to support healthy aging in resource frontier communities: The role of voluntary sector leadership
A home to grow old in”: The challenge of non-metropolitan housing to support healthy ageing-in-place
Be careful what you wish for: Resource boomtowns and disillusionment in the Surat Basin
The socio-spatial politics of royalties and their distribution: A case study of the Surat Basin, Queensland
This paper is concerned with the socio-spatial and ethical politics of redistribution, specifically the allocation of natural resources rents from political and economic cores to the economic and geographical peripheries whence the resource originated. Based on a case study of the coal seam gas sector in Queensland's Surat Basin, this paper focuses on the operation of the Queensland State Government's regional development fund for mining and ener…
Moving from government to governance: Addressing housing pressures during rapid industrial development in Kitimat, BC, Canada
In resource-based communities, housing can be a contributing asset or challenge to attracting and retaining workers and families. In Kitimat, BC, Canada, a housing crisis threatened vulnerable, low income, and middle income residents during a period of rapid growth associated with renewed industrial investments. Even though housing policy and public housing provision falls under provincial government jurisdiction, the crisis response was largely …
New mobile realities in mature staples-dependent resource regions: Local governments and work camps
In resource-dependent regions, work camps have reshaped workforce recruitment and retention strategies and relationships with communities as they are increasingly deployed within municipal boundaries. This has prompted important, but controversial, questions about local government policies and regulations guiding workforce accommodations to support rapid growth in resource regions. Even as mobile workforces become more prevalent, however, few res…
Recession Response: Cyclical Problems and Local Solutions in Northern British Columbia
The purpose of this paper is to trace community and regional responses to the economic downturn of 2008/2009 in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Our research during this period (2009–2011), the Northern Economic Vision II (NEV II) project, sought to investigate whether communities in the region were incorporating some of the core findings, lessons from an earlier project, the NEV I project (conducted in 2002–2005), in terms of preparing for bot…
Developing the next generation of community-based researchers: Tips for undergraduate students
Universities and funding agencies are increasingly calling for collaborative research between community partners and academics. When combined with faculty roles in training the next generation of researchers, these collaborative frameworks can present a challenge to undergraduate students seeking experience with research activities—both in terms of the types of needed training and the timelines involved. The quality and effectiveness of student r…
The Deployment of Partnerships by the Voluntary Sector to Address Service Needs in Rural and Small Town Canada
Service restructuring trends since the 1980s have resulted in the downsizing or closure of many services in rural and small town Canada. In response, voluntary groups have been filling some of the emerging service gaps. Services, however, often are directed at complex problems that demand information, support, or assistance from a range of sources and institutions. For voluntary groups, this underscores a need to partner with other groups, organi…
Rural Economic Development: A Review of the Literature from Industrialized Economies
Over the past 30 years, accelerating change has been one of the defining attributes of rural landscapes around the world. In response, there has been an increasing volume of rural economic development research and public/policy interest in that research. The purpose of this review article is not to provide a ‘state of the literature’ summary, but rather to highlight thematic directions, opportunities, and trends in the rural economic development …
Informal Support Networks of Low-Income Senior Women Living Alone: Evidence from Fort St. John, BC
Within the context of an aging Canadian rural and small-town landscape, there is a growing trend of low-income senior women living alone. While there is a perception that rural seniors have well-developed social networks to meet their daily needs, some research suggests that economic and social restructuring processes have impacted the stability of seniors' support networks in small places. While much of the research on seniors' informal networks…
Developing the next generation of community-based researchers: Tips for undergraduate students
Universities and funding agencies are increasingly calling for collaborative research between community partners and academics. When combined with faculty roles in training the next generation of researchers, these collaborative frameworks can present a challenge to undergraduate students seeking experience with research activities—both in terms of the types of needed training and the timelines involved. The quality and effectiveness of student r…
So you're thinking about a retirement industry? Economic and community development lessons from resource towns in northern British Columbia
Many resource-dependent towns in developed economies were designed to attract and retain young workers and their families. Industrial restructuring and public policy changes have weakened the ties between small places and resource sectors. As local governments search for ways to diversify their tax base and economy, some resource towns are looking towards the retirement industry as a way to stabilize revenue and enhance the resilience of their ec…
On the Edge in Rural Canada: The Changing Capacity and Role of the Voluntary Sector
Since the 1980s, neoliberal policies have downsized or closed rural and small-town services. In response, voluntary groups have played an increasing role to retain basic supports. How voluntary groups are impacted, and how they react, will affect community development. Drawing upon our research across northern BC and Canada, this article explores the changing role of voluntary groups, with a focus on the structural and institutional barriers impe…
Place integration through efforts to support healthy aging in resource frontier communities: The role of voluntary sector leadership
Emergence, transition, and continuity: Resource commodity production pathways in northeastern British Columbia, Canada
Growing old in resource communities: Exploring the links among voluntarism, aging, and community development
This article addresses the implications of “resource frontier aging” with a particular emphasis on understanding the role of the voluntary sector in supporting older people living in resource hinterland regions, and in sustaining economic and social development in their communities. Informed by recent calls for greater attention to the diverse experiences of rural aging, individually and collectively, and drawing on previous research on voluntari…
We're in this all together”: Community impacts of long-distance labour commuting
Labour and economic development patterns in rural regions have shifted substantially as a by-product of both economic and political restructuring. An important manifestation of this restructuring has been the growth of long distance labour commuting (LDLC) associated with increased labour flexibility and worker/family preference. In this article, we draw upon research in Mackenzie, British Columbia (BC), Canada, to explore the broader impacts of …
New mobile realities in mature staples-dependent resource regions: Local governments and work camps
In resource-dependent regions, work camps have reshaped workforce recruitment and retention strategies and relationships with communities as they are increasingly deployed within municipal boundaries. This has prompted important, but controversial, questions about local government policies and regulations guiding workforce accommodations to support rapid growth in resource regions. Even as mobile workforces become more prevalent, however, few res…
The workers’ perspective: The impacts of long distance labour commuting in a northern Canadian small town
The structural underpinnings impacting rapid growth in resource regions
Opportunities and Challenges to Address Poverty in Rural Regions: A Case Study from Northern BC
Despite neo-liberal policies that have been restructuring and regionalizing supports over the past 30 years, most research on rural poverty has been focused at the community level. Exploring regional approaches to address rural poverty is becoming increasingly important as rural organizations have a limited capacity to respond to this complex issue. New regionalism has been one outcome of neo-liberal policies as regions experiment with different …
Recession Response: Cyclical Problems and Local Solutions in Northern British Columbia
The purpose of this paper is to trace community and regional responses to the economic downturn of 2008/2009 in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Our research during this period (2009–2011), the Northern Economic Vision II (NEV II) project, sought to investigate whether communities in the region were incorporating some of the core findings, lessons from an earlier project, the NEV I project (conducted in 2002–2005), in terms of preparing for bot…
Rapid change in small towns: When Social Capital Collides With Political/Bureaucratic Inertia
Successful community development is usually constructed with “bottom-up” capacity and “top-down” public policy. The synergy between these approaches has been hampered by the transition from a Keynesian to a neoliberal public policy framework. Under the stress of rapid change from major industrial projects, this article examines community development responses in the small town of Kitimat, British Columbia. Using a social capital lens, our finding…
Moving from mobility to immobility in the political economy of resource-dependent regions
The increasing prevalence of mobile workers who travel long distances to work presents opportunities and challenges for communities in the new political economy of resource-dependent regions. In an era where workers can increasingly choose where they wish to work and live, this paper explores the efforts of two northern communities, in British Columbia, Canada to capture benefits from resource development by attracting and retaining mobile worker…
Path dependency or investing in place: Understanding the changing conditions for rural resource regions
Restructuring of Rural Governance in a Rapidly Growing Resource Town: The Case of Kitimat, BC, Canada
A new era of industrial development is unfolding in resource-dependent regions. In Canada, the local government context in these regions, however, is very different now than when industrial resource development expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. Drawing upon our case study in Kitimat, British Columbia, we highlight transformations associated with neoliberal policies that have affected rural governance. Neoliberal public policy shifts include wider …
Bending the arc of the staples trap: Negotiating rural resource revenues in an age of policy incoherence
Impact of Senior Government Policies on the Renewal of Built Capital for Rural Non-Profits
Changes in rural service provision have been shaped by a shift from state to private and nonprofit service delivery, driven by a neo-liberal policy orientation. As senior governments continue to offload the delivery of services to nonprofit stakeholders in rural regions, state policies often fail to address deficiencies with aging and inappropriate built capital assets. The infrastructure and service deficit undermines the capacity of the nonprof…
The “politics of method” in volatile settings: Research with mobile workers in rural resource regions
Research in contentious and fluctuating political and economic conditions presents many challenges. Given the potential for the politicization of research in an era where information is rapidly changing, there is pressure to consider pathways to ensure quality and transparent research. This perspective builds upon a tradition of considering the methodological implications associated with conducting research within volatile settings. The paper ref…
Neglected Transportation Infrastructure: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Russian State in a Small Siberian Oil Town
Verkhnemarkovo, a small Siberian town located on an oil field in Russia’s Irkutsk region, is plagued by bad roads and limited mobility. This article explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility and the wellbeing of individuals and communities, with a focus on transport and mobility infrastructure. Some oil companies, such as Irkutsk Oil Company, are tied to the sustainability standards of international financial institutions.…
Moving from government to governance: Addressing housing pressures during rapid industrial development in Kitimat, BC, Canada
In resource-based communities, housing can be a contributing asset or challenge to attracting and retaining workers and families. In Kitimat, BC, Canada, a housing crisis threatened vulnerable, low income, and middle income residents during a period of rapid growth associated with renewed industrial investments. Even though housing policy and public housing provision falls under provincial government jurisdiction, the crisis response was largely …
Neither prepared nor transformed: Institutional responses to unconventional oil and gas development in Australian and Canadian communities
Economics (28 works) · Political science (27 works) · Economic growth (23 works) · Business (18 works) · Geography (13 works) · Mining and Resource Management (13 works) · Rural development and sustainability (13 works) · Finance (12 works) · Resource (disambiguation (12 works) · Politics (10 works)