Archive for the ‘Quality of Life’ Category

Schools: Design Effects Performance

June 9th, 2010

If you remember, last week I wrote a post on the health and learning benefits attributed to green schools.  I asked, is it that unrealistic to build green schools in rural areas, and can it be obtained by those who don’t have a lot of money to throw around?

I wanted to expand the statistics found in my last post.  Air Quality Sciences, Inc interviewed 667 executives involved in green and traditional educational facilities and this is what they had to say.

I think we now all understand the tremendous benefits of green schools for our students, teachers, and administrators, but not every district can afford a new building and I believe that doing something, no matter how small, is better than doing nothing.  This led me to seek out information on what others can do to improve the buildings they already have.

A study found in the book Green Schools: Attributes for Health and Learning focused on rural high schools in Virginia.  School personnel surveyed the building based on topics, ranging from thermal comfort to the condition of the flooring and the color of the walls, in order to rate the building as substandard, standard or above standard.  The study found that there was a significant difference in student performance from students in substandard buildings compared to their peers in above standard buildings.  And, the students said the building’s cosmetics, like the condition of the floors and the color of the walls, were more important than the structure of the building.

Teachers from two similar elementary schools in rural Tennessee reported that students in the modern school had a lower level of discipline and health issues and a higher attendance rate than students in a building from 1939. 

These results are great news for rural schools that are feeling the pinch, but want to do some upgrading.  While more sunlight, better heating and cooling systems, and rain water reuse programs are great, brightly colored walls can make a huge difference on the way people perceive a room.  Nicer furnishings and classrooms also solicit more respect from students. 

I want to leave you with a video I found to be truly inspiring.  Imagine how much happier the world would be if all our students got to study in a place like this, and all of our office and retail buildings had these great characteristics.

Manassas Park Elementary School from Chesapeake Bay Program on Vimeo.

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Building the Case: Greening Our Schools

June 4th, 2010

Going to school at Howard High was pretty good.  The building was built in 1969 and in fairly good shape for a building now in its 40’s; almost every classroom had a window and the library had skylights, but the temperature controls weren’t quite right and often window blinds were shut tight.  I didn’t particularly enjoy the building, but it wasn’t bad and could have been much worse. 

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) says the average American spends 90% of their day indoors.  Often little thought is put into how the built environment impacts our daily routine.  As a socially minded architecture student, I think good buildings should enhance our daily lives and not only be available to those with a fist full of cash.  I start to wonder if it really is that unrealistic to build green schools in rural areas. 

Currently there are numerous schools being housed in what appear to be tin sheds or leftover trailers.  When I hear that “green” schools improve the health of teachers and students, raise test scores and decrease student absences, I ask myself why our schools aren’t doing more to help our students.

The USGBC defines green schools as, “… a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.”

According to Air Quality Sciences, Inc, Turner Construction, and the USGBC-Green Schools, there are many reasons why schools should be built using “green” practices.

 In our rural school districts, it can be hard to find enough money for textbooks, let alone a new building.  But when given the opportunity, are we providing our students and teachers with the best possible opportunities to succeed?

 If the statistics I found are correct, this means our decision to build schools goes far beyond financial or environmental factors. 

 Stay tuned next week for a post looking at different case studies about rural “green” schools.

 Photo:  Howard High School in Howard, SD

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Home Again

May 21st, 2010

(Note: It’s Friday, which means this post is a part of our “I Feel Fridays” project.  Our goal is to share stories from the past week that generated an emotional response.  We encourage readers to respond to the post or to share something from their lives in the past week. To learn more about “I Feel Fridays,” check out this post- and then tell us what you’re feeling.)

I came home from college for the summer this week, and nearly everyone I met in my hometown made me feel welcomed back into the community.  That’s something I haven’t felt in a while.

I grew up on a family farm in Howard, SD.  I then decided to travel 788 miles down Interstate-90 to attend the School of Architecture at Montana State University - Bozeman.  I knew I would miss my family and friends, but I was ready to make the change.  What I didn’t think I would miss as much as I do is the community.

Howard is pretty small, and I was ready for bigger things - a bigger town, a bigger school and a sense of “bigger” that would come from me moving there.  I didn’t think I was better than my friends who stayed, but I thought I was on a new adventure to try completely new things.  While this is true, I started to miss the things I once took for granted. 

For instance, the meat that showed up on my dining hall plate was not from our cows or our neighbors pigs.  I couldn’t find any garden fresh kohlrabi in the salad department.  Worst of all, it definitely wasn’t cooked by Mom.

I would drive down to Target and the cashier didn’t ask me about my Grandpa, only if I wanted my receipt with me or in the bag.  My floormates laughed at my hometown newspaper saying, “It’s for the whole county, only comes once a week, and the main story is about a cow?!”   I started to defend my little paper by explaining it was Fair week, and the steer won Best in Show for a local 4-H kid.  They didn’t think it was a big deal.

I truly realized how much I missed the community my first night home from college during Winter Break when I walked into the Cabaret Steakhouse in Carthage, SD with my parents.  As we found a table, friends and neighbors all smiled at me and asked how it felt to be done with my first semester in Montana.  I was caught off guard because these people cared enough to stop eating, talk to me, and remember were I was going to school and what subject I was studying. 

That’s when it hit me: Bozeman may be a very friendly town, but it doesn’t even compare to Miner County.  When I go back to school, only my close friends and professors will welcome me with a smile and genuinely care how my summer went.  When I walk into the restaurants, no one will ask how it’s going in Howard or say how nice it is to have me back in town.

I think a previous post about Tom Bodett’s thoughts on a small town embody why I love Miner County.  The small-town community is hard to explain, but now that I have gone away the pull for me to come back is getting stronger.

I’ve now finished my third year at MSU and I’m no longer caught off guard by people saying, “It’s so good to see you!  How long are you home for this time?”  I happily answer, “The whole summer, and I’m really glad to be home.”

 

Photo: Miner County residents do their best in a pie eating contest to celebrate Straw Bale Days in Carthage, SD, uploaded to Flickr by the Rural Learning Center

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Gen Y Entrepreneurship: Nick Graham Style

April 7th, 2010

Nick Graham has struck again.  Now, 21 years-old, Nick recently purchased the Nodaway Valley Market in Fontanelle, IA; his third grocery store in small town Iowa.

I wrote briefly about Nick in January 2009, almost three years after he had purchased his first grocery store in Truman, MN at age seventeen.  He went on to buy two additional stores before selling them off because another grocer made him a “good offer.” 

According to Kyle Munson in the Des Moines Register, Nick has jumped back into the grocery business with the purchase of three stores in the Iowa communities of Fontanelle, Pomeroy and Rolfe.  His efforts prompted one of his employees to say:

“Holy cow,” Debbie Frank says Wednesday from behind the cash register. Just hearing Nick’s resume “makes me think I’ve done nothing with my life!” (Source: Kyle Munson, Des Moines Register, “Munson: Iowa grocery tycoon, 21, builds small-town business,” April 2, 2010),

In my original article, I suggest Nick was “just another typical Millennial” because many Gen Yers share his entrepreneurial spirit.  Obviously, Nick’s entrepreneurial spirit is on steroids.  But the point I wanted to make was that rural communities everywhere should be thinking about how they can tap into young people by supporting their entrepreneurial spirit. 

Although I’ve never met Nick, the Des Moines Register article helps me see some additional characteristics that Nick possesses.  I think they are worth lifting up for consideration. 

 

5 characteristics of Nick Graham’s entrepreneurial spirit

1. Live conservatively: A lot of young people spend money freely. Some rush into buying a fancy car, whiles others jump into homeownership; both leading them down a pathway to a lifetime of debt. Nick’s a homeowner himself. But rather than spend $150,000 - $250,000 on a starter home in a larger community, Nick purchased a four-bedroom house in Rolfe for $4,000.

2. Work hard: If you are ambitious, you’re going to end up working long hours to gain the success you want. The difference with Nick is that he’s putting in these hours for himself, rather than a boss or shareholders. In other words, he keeps the fruits of his hard work.

3. Find your muse & get started early: Nick’s first venture into business wasn’t the Truman grocery store. From the Des Moines Register article, we learn that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer inspired Nick to set up a lawn mowing business. My guess is that some of that money came in handy when buying his first grocery store.

4. Skip college: Ok, I don’t actually believe this is a good move for most young people, but it has worked for Nick. I suspect it’s because he’s found ways to teach himself the skills he needs for his business.

5. Don’t give up: Having never met Nick, I’m not sure what disappointments and failures he’s had to overcome, but one quote from the Des Moines Register article suggests he’s not a quitter: “Good things fall apart for better things to fall together.”

I’m inspired by Nick, and I hope you are too.  But more importantly, this is the type of story that I hope inspires young people.

Too often, the only stories young people in rural communities hear are about people who move away to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrating their success.  But it’s a travesty when we ignore those doing it in small, rural communities. 

 

Photo Credit:  Aplysa_06 - Flickr

 

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Got (interesting) people?

February 22nd, 2010

Yesterday I caught a Tweet from @Richard_Florida which read, “When I asked Jane Jacobs about this, she said: ‘When a place gets boring even the rich people leave.’  http://is.gd/8RwVh…”.

I believe the “this” Florida references is the gentrification of some urban neighborhoods, especially as it occurs in once down-and-out and working class neighborhoods. 

I draw this conclusion largely from the New York Times article that he links to titled “A Contrarian’s Lament in a Blitz of Gentrification.”

The article looks at the gentrification of New York City’s neighborhoods, through the eyes of Sharon Zukin, a Brooklyn College professor.  Zurkin laments this gentrification and identifies urban theorist Jane Jacobs as partially to blame.

Jacobs looked at cities as organic, self-regulating organisms that planners often screwed up.  She loathed the suburban car culture and it’s sterile, middle-class only suburbs.  Her zeal for local economy, mixed use neighborhoods and a bottom up approach to community planning have no doubt played a role in the resurgence of urban neighborhoods across the country.  But as the article points out, gentrification can be an unwanted result.

I’m a huge fan of Jane Jacobs, but Zurkin raises some good points.  I found one of her comments in the article particularly interesting:

“Much of what made these neighborhoods unique lives on only in the buildings, not the people.” (source:  Michael Powell, “A Contrarian’s Lament in a Blitz of Gentrification,”  New York Times, 2-18-10)

People, not buildings, make a place interesting.  That’s something all of us in community development should hold onto.

I also think most of our small, rural communities could benefit from becoming “more interesting,” and I’d advocate that we consider some of Jane Jacobs’s ideas for inspiration. 

To begin we can look at the physical design of our communities as a starting point.  Simply put, we have to look better.  It’s that belief that lead the Rural Learning Center to co-develop Design:SD. 

But design alone is not the answer.  We must showcase the talents and creativity of the people who live in our small towns.  That’s why the emphasis on cultural activities in Dr. David Ivan’s “Can Small Towns be Cool?” research resonates with me.  It’s also part of the reason I advocate that rural communities consider the strategy of developing “third places” as a part of their economic development plan. 

The above are by no means the only ways rural communities can become more interesting.  But it’s a start.

So what’s your community doing to make itself more interesting? 

 

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10 Reasons “Third Places” matter to Rural Communities

January 26th, 2010

Admittedly, I go a little overboard on emphasizing the importance of “third places” to the future of rural communities, but my gut tells me they play a more vital role in the social and economic wellbeing of our rural communities than most people give them credit for.   

For those who haven’t heard of them before, third places are where people meet and socialize outside of their homes (first places) and their work (second places). Sociologist Ray Oldenburg is credited with drawing attention to third places through his influential book, The Great Good Place.  Back in January 2009, I wrote this post titled “Does your Community need a Coffee Shop and other Third Places?”  It’s still one of our more popular posts here at Reimagine Rural.    

Lacking in any of my previous writing about third places, however, is a comprehensive explanation of how third places impact the economic wellbeing of small, rural communities - or any community for that matter.  For that reason, I’ve produced the following resource guide to illuminate why rural communities must get serious about their efforts to develop strong third places in their communities. 

10 Reasons Third Places Matter to Rural Communities

1. Third places are cool…and rural places could stand a little cool. It’s no secret that young people today crave “cool” environments to live and hang out. What receives less attention, however, is research that suggests Gen Yers often choose where to live before seeking permanent employment; and that “coolness” plays a role in this decision making process. If true, this tells us that for rural communities to attract young people, they need to develop some cool places young people crave. And what better way to do it than by creating a place where young and old can get together. (Another article on the subject can be found here.)

2. Third places introduce new people to the community. I’ve noted in previous posts, how important it is for new residents and visitors to feel welcomed by a community.  Wall Street Journal writer Gwendolyn Bounds offers a personal perspective of how Guinans, an Irish pub, welcomed her into the Garrison, NY community and played a critical role in her choice to move there. As Bounds came to frequent the pub, “regulars” at Guinans taught her (a former NYC resident) a great deal about how to live in a rural community (i.e. use a chain saw, fix the plumbing, and deal with the snow). It’s possible that new residents can become a part of a community without a third place, but third places seem to make the process a lot easier.

3. Third Places improve the quality of life in a community. Quality of life means different things to different people. Some say quality of life requires a community to have a strong “night life.” Other, say it requires safe environments. But as this research suggests, people who live in communities with third places perceive the quality of life in their community as being higher than those who live without them.

4. Third Places are good for tourism. When people go on vacation they are typically looking for a unique experience. More and more, they also want that experience to be authentic. In other words, they want to get a sense of a community’s character, rather than an image developed by a corporate marketing department. If your community has a scenic wonder like the Grand Canyon, or man-made attraction like the Mall of America, you may not need to worry about a third place. But as tourism expert Roger Brooks of Destination Development Inc. notes, third places are a part of each community’s “brand” and can become places where locals and visitors meet each other. If you want further proof on the importance of third places to tourism, just look at what the Irish pub has done for tourism in Ireland.

5. Third places can help improve the business climate in your small town. Increasingly entrepreneurs need to work from anywhere and at anytime. That’s why cell service, broadband internet, and wifi accessibility are vital infrastructure to any rural community. But does your community have a place where entrepreneurs can meet with clients and business partners, take advantage of technology, and remain connected to the office? If not, your community may be frustrating entrepreneurs more than you realize.

6. Third places stimulate creativity. I work from home quite a bit. Sometimes, the solitude becomes deafening, and I need to be around people. I’ve discovered that in addition to combating isolation, third places help stimulate both my productivity and creativity. Surprisingly, I’m not alone. I recently learned that J.K. Rowlings turns to cafés for inspiration while writing her monumental Harry Potter books. Now she’s creative! (And just think what would happen if a third place in your community inspired the next Harry Potter series.)

7. Third Places help people age in place. Back in the 1990s, the Rural Learning Center focused on developing senior housing options (like independent and assisted living) in our community because we learned that helping seniors age in place was important to their quality of life. F. Kaid Benfield recognized that same issue in this blog post where he emphasized that communities who follow smart growth principles should develop third places for seniors that they can walk to. The point here is that seniors need to be active and engaged. That could be accomplished with a senior citizens facility. But a more efficient use of resources would involve developing third places where all generations visit.

8. Third Places can help create jobs.  Cooltown Studios has published numerous blogs posts about third places in urban areas.  I particularly like this post, which highlights how third places help build conversations that lead to entrepreneurial thinking, a requirement for growing our economy.   On one hand, saying that third places lead to job growth is a bit abstract for me, but I do believe it’s a good reminder that entrepreneurs need places to network and build conversations in order to generate new ideas that will hopefully lead to job growth. 

9. Third Places will never be replaced by social networking sites like Facebook. There’s a school of thought suggesting that physical third places are being replaced by virtual ones. In other words, Facebook is the new third place. Now let me be clear: I believe rural communities should consider developing an online social networking strategy as a part of their economic development work. It’s a great way to connect with people both inside and outside your community. But as Mary Newsom writes on Citiwire: online social networks as third places are “mere metaphors for the real thing.”

10. Third Places help build conversation …. and conversation leads to trust. One of the beautiful things about quality third places is that they bring together people of all socio-economic backgrounds. As conversation emerges in a third place, people begin to know, understand, and trust each other. Sociologists call this bridging social capital and have recognized its importance in community and economic development in rural places. (As this paper suggest, bridging social capital is the entry point for strengthening your community socially and economically.) On a basic level, most of us can appreciate that whenever people come together for open conversation, they begin to trust each other. And when people trust each other, it’s a lot easier to get things done in our communities.

I’ve been thinking and writing about the importance of third places in rural communities for a couple years now, and I’ve really noticed the growth of good resources being published online. In addition to sharing some of those resources as links above, I’ve attempted to save my favorites to my Delicious account.  Even though I’ve saved over 60 recourses, I know the list is incomplete. 

That’s why I’d like to ask for your help.  Feel free to check out my list of favorites on Delicious, but just as important, please share your favorites with me.  And don’t think that my “10 Reasons Third Places are important to Rural Communities” list above is complete either.  I plan to revise the list in the near future, and include your thoughts and new discoveries in it.

 

Photo Credits:

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Rural Midwest: Still in a recession or better than most think?

December 4th, 2009

So which of the following statements accurately describes the economy of rural Midwestern communities?  “Survey shows rural Midwest still in a recession” or “Rural America more prosperous than expected.”

I caught both of the above titled articles Tuesday while mining Twitter for information on rural communities.  Both were released on the same day (Dec. 1), and suggest contradictory opinions about what’s happening in the rural Midwest. 

So what gives?  Is our economy in the tank or are we doing better than most people assume? Could it be both?

Can we trust the sources?

Let me begin by saying that both articles come from reliable sources:

It’s important to note that the University of Illinois study differs in one other significant way - it attempts to measure community prosperity without relying on the income and growth indicators used in most study on the kind.  So, it is possible that the rural Midwest may still struggle with a recession in the upcoming months while remaining more prosperous than most people think.  But what does it mean to be more prosperous than most people think?

(Click on the map to enlarge and see how your community is doing accountring to Isserman’s study. Image Source: LiveScience.com)

Measuring Wealth by “outcomes” rather than “income and growth”

Early on in our work in Miner County, Dr. Daryl Hobbs made sure that we understood that the measures of community success often highlighted in the media don’t tell the whole story.  For instance, just measuring the number of jobs created doesn’t tell the entire story about how a community is doing.  And it definitely doesn’t explain how people feel about the community. 

Dr. Isserman at the University of Illinois seems to be well aware of these factors.  On the university’s website, he is quoted saying:

“Growth and income are the conventional measures of community success,” said U of I economist and planner Andrew Isserman. “But, in talking with farm groups, elected leaders, and rural development professionals from across the country, I realized how few were happy. Some worried about growing too much, and the others fretted about growing too little.”

Instead of income and growth, the study measured community prosperity by analyzing such factors as:

I don’t pretend to be an economist or sociologist (and I didn’t stay in a Holiday Inn last night either), but I do know that this is a very different way of thinking.  It’s definitely more in line with what Daryl was telling us, and I like it.  But then I don’t measure my personal prosperity by my bank account alone either. 

While exited to see this new approach to studying communities, I can’t help but wonder if the study didn’t miss one important criterion by not analyzing health trends.  In other words, are people in the community healthy?

I’m sure some in the academia and the economic development worlds will prefer the more traditional use of income and growth to measure community prosperity.  And that’s ok.  I’m just glad to see others like me are looking at the world a little differently.

Image credit: Andrew Isserman, Edward Feser, Drake Warren, University of Illinois, via LiveScience.com

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Highlights from Hill City

October 7th, 2009

Last week I had the opportunity to spend four days with the folks in Hill City. SD during a design:SD charrette.  I say opportunity for several reasons: it is a special thing when a community invites a team in and believes they will produce something they need, and it is awesome when fifteen individually talented strangers at the start become friends lending their talents towards a common goal. 

The experience always leaves me with new impressions, ideas, and hopes.  Project Hill City was no different.  Below is an unedited, incomplete, and completely biased view of my impressions in Hill City.  I hope my mates will fill in where I’m off track. 

Preserve What’s Special

The folks in Hill City continually shared that preserving the “feel” of Hill City was top priority.   Naming what that feeling is was a bit more difficult; everything from unique character, charm, history, arts, natural beauty, and the list goes on. 

The point is, there was something special to capture about Hill City that is different than the next community, but that each community has (or should develop) that same sense.  Figuring out how to put words to it will help you make decisions regarding your community brand and design. 

Unintended Consequences

During our learning studio, we heard that some Hill City residents desired an events center: a place where people could be housed and entertained in one convenient location. 

What the design team realized is that Hill City is already an events center. Adding a separate events center  (likely to be located on the fringes of the community or out of the city limits altogether) may actually detract from the culture Hill City is trying to create.  Our recommendation is to use existing places and spaces to meet the needs of events that will be held in Hill City.

Tourists and Residents Have Different Needs

Who are you going to plan for? Understanding how residents and tourists use your community differently may help guide a comprehensive plan.  One example is of this is shared in the video below.

Matt’s point is this:  parking needs are different for residents than they are for tourists, so plan accordingly. 

Design Impacts Community

Hill City has been able to reinvent its downtown area due to the influence of the arts.  Several prominent artists house galleries in Hill City, and dozens more display their works in the galleries and shops along Main Street.  I think it is no coincidence that the community describes itself as able to work together well.  Downtown places, and the interaction that they encourage, help residents build social capital, contributing to a community’s ability to get along.  (sort of like the “third places” Mike keeps talking about)

 

 

 

These are just a few of the highlights I’ve come away from Hill City with.  All of the design:SD boards are available for viewing below.  I’d be interested in what you think!

DesignSD - Hill City Boards
View more documents from Rural Learning Center.

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Social Capital through the Front Porch

July 30th, 2009

Like I mentioned in my last post, many people see development possibilities as a good way to invest in, and grow, their towns.  So, what makes a new urbanism neighborhood so much better than your standard subdivision?  (Find out what Hercules, CA has to say here, and what Stapleton residents think here)

The American front porch was a great tool for encouraging socialization.  Families would spend nice evenings on the porch, waving to passing neighbors or offering them a glass of iced tea or lemonade and a chair to sit down in.  Before lives were more hectic and evenings were spent at karate practice, people enjoyed a quiet evening together with friends and family.  The neighborhood kids would play together on a whim, and not a scheduled play-date.

Many new home buyers remember this care-free aspect of their childhood, and want to give their children the same opportunity.  From what I have seen, many members of Gen Y see subdivisions and cul-de-sacs as idealistic and sterile places with no real character.  These subdivisions are based on the car with large garages dominating the streetscape, wide roads to accommodate those cars, and are located far from work and shopping, making the car a necessity in all daily tasks.

New urbanism neighborhoods are no longer based on the car in the garage, and instead are focused on the people in the homes.  Lots are set up “long and skinny,” encouraging homeowners to locate the garage at the back of their property, with access from the shared alley.  Roads are narrower to encourage slower traffic, which in turn encourages people to start utilizing the front yard as a safe place to play and the neighborhood a safe place to walk.  In these neighborhoods the front porch is making a comeback.

One of the great things about rural communities is that people tend to know and care about their neighbors.  When neighborhoods are built in a way that encourages connectivity, neighbors and communities start to reap the benefits.  Communities start to build social capital by connecting neighbors to one another.  And, as I have discussed before, connecting new people to others in your community is essential in keeping those newcomers in your neighborhoods and happy. 

 

Photo courtesy of Seabrook, WA, another very neat town that was created using New Urbanist principles.

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Midwest Rural Assembly: Real people talking about real issues

July 29th, 2009

Anyone who is passionate about the rural Midwest should plan on attending the Midwest Rural Assembly.  The event is being hosted in Sioux Falls on August 10-11, 2009. 

The goal of the event is to build a network of regional rural leaders committed to identifying the policy changes needed to help rural places prosper.

From the Assembly’s website we learn attendees will have an opportunity to:

I’m attending because it is an opportunity for me to be a part of the conversation about the future of rural places.  As regular readers know, we believe conversation - both in person and on-line - is key to developing a vision for the future of rural.  We don’t enter the policy debate very often because our focus is on community development practices.

If you want to learn more about the goings on of the assembly, I would invite you to check out the Midwest Rural Assembly website.  You can register on the site as well.

A schedule of events and speakers can be found here. 

And you can check out what people are saying about the Assembly on this Facebook page. 

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