Posts Tagged ‘Design SD’

Design Connect: a fresh look at your community

June 21st, 2010

Does your small town have an ugly concrete wall, like the one to the left, which ruins the aesthetics and design of your community? Maybe it’s a highway that divides the town in half or a wetland that conjures up memories from the Swamp Thing. 

Regardless of what they are, most communities have design elements that create barriers to how the community functions as well as how other people perceive the community. 

I admittedly have miniscule visual design abilities.  As I look at the image above, feelings of emptiness and helplessness creep in.  I would not be able to help a community figure out how to improve the aesthetics of a wall like this.  There are, however, lots of people who look at walls and see opportunities.  And luckily they are willing to volunteer in projects like design:SD and Design Connect. 

Bringing professional services to underserved rural areas

We’ve talked previously about the Rural Learning Center’s involvement with Design:SD.  Today, I want to highlights the efforts of Design Connect, a similar project sponsored by students at Cornell University in Upstate New York.

Similar to design:SD, the project seeks to “create comprehensive and sustainable design solutions” in partnership  with underserved rural communities.  It differs in three noticeable different ways:

Design:SD and Design Connect are not the only programs brining volunteers to rural communities to help with design elements.  In fact, Minnesota Design Team was instrumental in helping Design:SD get off the ground.  If you know of any others, I hope you will share links to them so that other people can benefit from their experience.

Photo Credit:  Design Connect website (with permission)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Rural | Comments (1)

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? 

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Community Development, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (0)

Is your community ready for social media?

February 2nd, 2010

Last night Lindsey and I engaged in a little social media training for residents in Miner County, SD.  During our session, we noted the changing landscape of advertising, and cited Pepsi’s withdrawal from its traditional advertising during the Super Bowl in favor of sponsoring a community grant program called the Pepsi Refresh Project as an example.  Marketing and advertising is definitely going “social.”

This morning, I hopped onto Facebook to find an update from Mark Rembert at Energize Clinton County who recommended people support a project in the Pepsi Refresh grant contest called Studio H. Learning of the project has inspired me to include the video explaining the project below.  

 

Combine design thinking, vocational trade training, and community citizenship in a youth engagement project — all within a high school setting.  The image of design:SD on steroids comes to mind.  If you agree, I hope you will vote for the project on the Pepsi Refresh page.

Reflecting on this project has created a couple thoughts that I’d like to share.

First, I hope rural communities are inspired by the Studio H project to develop their own youth engagement projects.  I love the idea of combining design and construction training in a community project.  But each community is different, and youth engagement projects need to meet the needs of both young people and the community.     

Second, I hope the Pepsi Refresh Project helps people see how marketing is becoming “social.”  The idea of taking money that previously directed at advertising and using it to engage your customer base is a great way to build a stronger brand.  It’s caused me to think more about how small, rural communities might use online contests as a part of their branding efforts.  (Note:  There are issues with “crowdsourced” contests of this nature, as is highlighted here.) 

And finally, I hope that the Pepsi Refresh Project helps rural residents and community development practitioners understand the importance of delivering social media training to people in rural communities.  I loved the idea advance by David Becker at the Friend of the Farmer blog to develop a social media training program for rural farmers.  (I shared my thoughts in greater detail in this post.)  The idea, along with support from local extension educator Jim Krantz, caused Lindsey and I share the presentation (which I’ve embedded below) with Miner County residents last night.      

Social Media 101
View more presentations from Rural Learning Center.

Our presentation is intended as an overview of social media.  Beginning February 15th and continuing each Monday through March, we will offer hands on training for specific tools like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.  If you are a Miner County resident and are interested in this training, I’d encourage you to contact the Miner County Extension office. 

If you are a rural community outside Miner County, I’d encourage you to answer the question:  Are people in our rural community interested in using social media?  If the answer is “yes,” I hope you find a way to bring training to your community.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Rural, Training and Events, education | Comments (6)

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.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Community Engagement, Quality of Life, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (2)

Does the design & appearance of a farm/ranch matter?

October 1st, 2009

Lindsey is out in Hill City, SD today leading the DesignSD team in a community design charrette, so the question about the design and appearance of farm/ranches is timely.  It’s actually not my question; rather it’s Caleb Schultz’s at the America’s Great Divide blog.

Caleb’s blog is fresh off the press (just two days old).  His goal for the blog is to bridge the gap between urban and rural people.

In his first post, he laments the negative attitudes he sees from many of his urban counterparts and asked what it will take to change their minds?  In his second post, he connects the importance of a farm’s physical appearance with the growing local foods movement, noting the following: 

“Part of connecting with consumers in the new local food market includes your business facility. Yep, your farm or ranch is now your place of business, your store front. If we want to connect to the urban society, there needs to be a touch of class and refinement. I’m not talking fake - dude ranch style, I’m talking nice respectable working facility style. A place to be proud of and a place to humbly show off when the city folk decide to see what agriculture is all about.”

Good point. Anything we can do to combat food from being a commodity is good in my book

But because Lindsey is working with the DesignSD team right now, Caleb’s comments caused me to wonder what impact the appearance of farms have on the small towns around them?  We know that people judge a community solely on its appearance.  We also know that good signage (and branding) that extend beyond the physical limits of a town’s boundaries has an impact as well.  Do people see the farms they drive by as extensions of a community as well? 

I’m really not sure of the answer here, but I suspect the answer lies in an adage that you’ve heard me say many times before - “it’s all connected.” 

 

Photo credit:  Whatleydude - Flickr  

Tags: , ,
Posted in Community Development, In the News, Rural | Comments (0)

design:SD — What does branding have to do with design?

April 3rd, 2009

During the recent Design:SD charrette in Deuel County, I continually found myself asking the various communities who were represented (there are eight: Clear Lake, Gary, Altamont, Astoria, Brandt, Goodwin, Toronto, Lake Cochrane) a single string of questions.

What is your community’s niche?  What makes you special and different than the other communities in Deuel County?

Not surprisingly, this question was a bit difficult for people to answer.  Not because the communities aren’t unique, but because they simply haven’t taken the time to really think about what those things are.  I think the answers to those questions are intrinsically related to branding. 

Branding can be a really difficult concept to understand, and even more difficult to execute.  But it doesn’t have to be.  If you can answer the question above, you’re well on your way to identifying your community’s brand.  Of course there are other elements you will consider as you dig in, but the basics come back to knowing who your community is and being able to communicate it to others. 

So, what does this have to do with Design:SD?  

Design:SD always tries to start with the strengths of the communities as they currently exist.  Knowing your strengths (the foundation of your brand) gives the design team a solid foundation to build upon. 

A strong brand can also help your community decide what’s most important to work on first.  It can help you understand what elements need to stay because they build character and make your community unique, and what elements need to go because they detract from it. 

So, if you’re reading this post and aren’t sure where to start in your community, I’d challenge you to answer the questions above and begin focusing on those ideas and projects that build a stronger sense of who your community is.  I don’t think you can go wrong when you begin there. 

Photo Note:  The Deuel Design Team digs in to identify the boards that they will produce for the Deuel County community.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Rural | Comments (0)

design:SD — More on the Boards

April 2nd, 2009

Design:SD is a lot of fun because we don’t focus on financing - or more specifically, the lack of it.  Instead, the team and community spend  a lot of time brainstorming and imagining creative projects.   Unfortunately, what sometimes happens next is that the design team leaves, and community members are left wondering, “Where is the money going to come from?”

In Deuel, the design team didn’t even get out of town before the question was asked.  In response, the team created a board with a list of funding opportunities to address the question.  (see slide below)

 

The point behind the board was that lots of funding opportunities exist:  so the task becomes matching the funding source with the type of project being developed. 

After the board was done, team members began identifying opportunities not listed and we added a couple more ideas (see DOT Enhancement Grant and HOME Funds).  We could have added many others (like USDA Rural Development programs) as well, but decided the board wasn’t big enough.  In any case, the list is far from complete.

 

A bit of further advice

As I reflect on the slide, I can’t help but offer some further advice. 

People often worry about funding way too early in a project’s lifespan.  Rather than focus on money, community members should begin by prioritizing the community’s needs and developing a ranked list of projects that meet those needs. 

Once complete the community can take the first few projects off the list and begin developing them, including their cost estimates.  It is at this point that attention should be focused on both local resources and outside funding opportunities like those described on the board. 

At that point, projects either acquire the necessary funding or they don’t.  If they don’t, projects may have to go back on the list and wait.  The list may also need to be reprioritized.  It has been my experience, however, that if the project has merit, the support of the community, and is well thought out, the project will find its funding.   

I am offering this advice because it seems that if too much attention is directed at funding at the start, projects appear unrealistic and nothing ever gets started.   But if the energy goes into developing a good project that meets the community’s needs, the funding will eventually materialize.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Community Engagement, Economic Development, Housing, Leadership, Rural | Comments (0)

design:SD Rides the U

April 2nd, 2009

In the few short days since coming home from the design:South Dakota team’s charrette in Deuel County, I’ve been contemplating the process and experience. It’s always an exhausting and energizing trip at the same time. I’ve co-lead three d:SD charrettes now, and I’ve always tried to design our time in the community around the U Process.

This year, I think it worked as well as ever, and other team members commented on the magic of sticking with the process. One comment that I particularly loved: “It seemed like we sat there with all this chaos going around and we weren’t getting anything done for so long. We sat there and struggled. Then, all of a sudden, it was like everything came together and we got a bunch of boards done in no time becuase we really knew what we needed to make.”

It’s worth the headache and hassle of sitting in that mess for a while, patiently opening up for the solutions to emerge. And when they do, it’s go time. Beautiful.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (0)

design:SD — The Design Boards

April 1st, 2009

Design: South Dakota’s three-day design charrette in Deuel County, SD culminated with a presentation of the design board developed by the team.  As Joe Bartmann wrote on the Design:SD blog:

The theme of our charrette this year became “Deuelities.” A play on ‘Deuel’ and ‘Duality.’ A duality is a relationship between two things, where both are different, but something is shared. That’s pretty much what we saw and heard in Deuel-several individual communities with identities of their own, but connected by a commonality or shared space and culture. County boundaries are certainly just imaginary political lines, but Deuel County communities have an opportunity for bigger things by connecting and working together.

Design Sd Deuel County (SD) Design Boards
View more presentations from ReImagineRural.

You can see from the slides that there are some pretty talented design professionals on the team.  Some of the concepts developed involve major projects, while others could be accomplished with a little effort here or there.  It will be fun to see where the community takes the ideas.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Community Development, Community Engagement, Housing, Quality of Life, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (0)

Welcoming potential residents

March 31st, 2009

A recurring theme we heard during our three-day design charrette in Deuel County (SD) was the desire to bring more residents to the community.  We heard that several of the community’s largest employers are still looking for employees - even during this economic downturn - and that a high percentage of the community’s labor force is currently driving into town to work.   Sounds like a great opportunity. 

It also leads to a question: how does a community convince people to move to their town?   Part of the answer may be in how easy it is for these potential residents to get to know the community. 

Lost and Found

During the charrette, design team members stayed with host families.  One of our presenters was one of those hosts. 

On Wednesday evening, he and his wife were on the “look-out” for their guest.  After seeing someone who looked lost go by their house several times, the presenter’s wife walked out to the street to see if this was their guest. Turns out the individual worked in town and was contemplating a move to Clear Lake.  His work schedule had made it difficult for him to get to know the community and look for available housing, specifically.  , He was driving around to get a feel.  The presenter’s wife offered some assistance, and the worker was on his way.

Small town atmosphere

This is the type of story that we have come to expect from rural communities.  It demonstrates the small town, friendly atmosphere that is so common.  But it also demonstrates that just being friendly may not be enough.  How many people never get noticed as they check out our communities? 

I was happy to learn that the town of Gary recently held housing fair as means of sharing information about housing opportunities.  But beyond that I did not hear of many other examples of how the issue was being addressed in Deuel County. 

It seems to me that all rural communities should dig into this question further.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers, but I’m sure there are a lot of innovative ideas out there.  I hope people who have those ideas will share them in the comments below. 

The bottom line is that welcoming potential residents is too important of an issue for us to leave it to happen-stance meetings out on the street.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Housing, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (0)

« Older Entries