Lake Traverse Community Vision: Building Community by Design

	Speakers:
	Cynthia Messer Extension Educator and Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Tourism Center		Thora Carlidge Senior Research Fellow and Project Manager University of Minnesota Rural Design Center
	Description: Traverse County, located in the west-central area of Minnesota, is a rich tapestry of rural Americana. The county today has a population of only 4,170. Lake Traverse forms the border with South Dakota; and the communities of Wheaton and Browns Valley anchor the lake at each end. The strong ties to agriculture and natural resources have driven local economies and created a sense of place for families and business. Now, faced with a declining agricultural economy, diminished water quality and a sense of loss related to the quality of rural life, local leaders sought to use a community visioning process as a framework for public dialogue and decision-making about economic development strategies. A team of landscape architects, architects and geographers, and tourism development educators led the task of developing the community's vision. Building on the recreational, environmental and tourism projects already underway, the planning process used visualization and design as an effective means of understanding shared community values and creating a clear vision of the future look and function of the Lake Traverse region. The Community Vision process produced a set of Guiding Principles to help shape future development. The principles are: Make efficient use of land resources and infrastructure. Evoke a sense of place. Invest in the public realm. Protect the region's ecology. Promote the region as a safe, livable and equitable place to invest. Using an interactive presentation format that mirrors the design process discussed, this workshop highlights the story of community engagement in economic redevelopment issues, and illustrates the critical importance of integrating citizens' values where successful outcomes depend on community support. Participants will experience the process of assessing development potential of natural and cultural resources and, in the doing, learn the value of using this design process to consider development alternatives.