In 1986, the city of Louisville invited several major cities within a 400 mile radius to send the person responsible for neighborhoods within city government to Louisville. During the two days of meetings the concept of establishing a regional organization emerged. It was decided that the organization would serve a two-fold purpose.  It would provide a framework for government officials to collaborate on issues of importance to neighborhoods and others related to managing municipalities. Secondly, the member cities would create an environment in which neighborhood leaders could interact with each other about issues they were all facing. This result was an annual Regional Neighborhood Network (RNNC) Conference.

The first two, in 1987 and 1988, were hosted by the city of Louisville. In addition to grassroots community volunteers, neighborhood leaders, government officials and others from the member cities, organizations from other area communities also send representatives to the conferences to learn best practices and develop strong networks that affect real neighborhood change and improve the quality of life in communities. Many neighborhood people have attended since the very first conference and have established ongoing relationships with their neighborhood counterparts from other cities.