OverthisnextyearinschoolIwillbeworkingtoputtogetheradirectoryofprograms,resources,grants,andstrategiesthatcommuni

Birdsareexcellentplacemakers,theyusefoundobjectstocreateelaboratenests,thataremeanttoaDractamateandprovideasanctuaryfortheirospring.Soletstakeaquicklessonfromthem,andseehowthiscorrespondstoourlives.

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Goodnestsarebuiltuponreliableeconomies.Anestcanonlybebuiltandmaintainedbaseduponthecapitalofitssurroundings.WeveallheardIttakesavillage.?Byinves

Goodnestsreecttheirenvironment.Theyembraceandgrowfromregionalameni

Ahouseisnotthesameasahome.Agoodnestencouragesinterac

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Soletsstartwitheconomics.WecanbegintoexplorethehistoryofAmericansmalltownformthroughtwotypicalimaginarycommuni

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Whentherailroadcamein1910,itfollowedthenaturaltransporta

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Asmoreandmorepeoplebegandrivingcarsanewhighwaywaseventuallybuiltthatconnectedvehiculartracmoreecientlytonearbytownsthantherailroadorrivercouldoer.ThismeantthatfewerandfewerpeopledrovethroughLineartown.BusinessesonMainStreetbegantocloseandalongthehighwaypoppedupacardealership,aMcDonalds,abranchbank,andacoupleminimallcomplexes.CurrentlythereisstrugglebetweenLineartownshistoricMainStreetandthenewerhighwaybasedbusinesses.

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Squaretownisoursecondmakebelievetown.Ithashistoricallybeenanagriculturaltown.Squaretowngrewbasedongoodsoils,goodmarkets,andhealthylivestock.Thetownwasplannedtohaveacivicsquareasitscentralfocus.

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Squaretownexperiencedtroubled

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Aswithothertowns,thehighwaywasanexci

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In2000,itseemedthatSquaretownhadstruckitbig.Alargetechnologycompanydecidedtobuyoutthetownsquaretoestablishtheirorderprocessingheadquartersthere.AlthoughAmericanwageswerehigherthanwhattheywouldhavetopayemployeesoverseas,thelowpropertyvalueindecliningSquaretownseemedlikeagoodrealestateinvestment.Thecompanydecidedtobuythetownsquareandstartpurchasingnearbyhomesthatemployeeswouldthenhavetorentorbuyfromthem.Forthetechnologycompany,thiswasamoreeconomicalapproach,andhadthepromiseofsustainedincome,thanstar

Ifyouhaveasharpeyeandknowyourlocalhistory,youmayhaveguessedbynow,thatalloftheblackandwhitephotoswejustlookedatare,infact,Coggon.Themapsarenot.Theyarepretendcommuni

PuredatadescribesCoggonasbeinglocated:421645N913147 W. CoggonhasaPopula

Goodnestsarebuiltuponreliableeconomies.Anestcanonlybebuiltandmaintainedbaseduponthecapitalofitssurroundings.

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ThevisualtoolsweusedtoexamineLineartownandSquaretownarecalledguregroundmaps.Byelimina

InCoggon,wehavetheBualoCreek,

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WehavetheRailroadthatfollowsthepathoftheriver,

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Wehaveournetworkofstreetsthatspeaktotheorienta

Andwehavethebuiltenvironmentwehaveconstructedandinheritedinwhichwelive,work,andplay.

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Byusingthisvisualtoolwecaneasilyndwerethebestplaceisforbusinessesbyseeingwerebuildingshavebeenbuiltclosesttogetherandthemostac

ForCoggon,thisisafounda

Goodnestsreecttheirenvironment.Theyembraceandgrowfromregionalameni

Anyonewhotakesawalk,orgoesforadrive,downMainStreet,canseethis,andinsomewayhasageneralknowledgeofthisfundamentaltruth.

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Withoutimportantaspectsofthatenvironment,welooseafocalpoint,weweakenorloosethenest.

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Thepurposeoffocusingthismuchonepar

Therststepistostarttoorganizeasacommunity.Getyourchurchgroupstogether,reachouttoyourlocalLionsClubandLegionHalls,askforhelpfromHistoricalSocie

IfwelookattheUrbanRuralCon

IfcancomparethattothisPopula

InIowa,themostrecentcensuspopula

SoyouseeourinheritedandbuiltenvironmentsmaDer.TheymaDeralot!Ashumanbeingsweneedtobeabletoconnecttobothourphysicalenvironment,andourbuiltenvironments,andbothhavemeaningandimportanthistories.ApsychologistinEnglanddiscoveredthatinhabitantsofavillagewhohadbeenforciblymovedinorderthatthevalleycouldbeoodedforareservoirweres

Iwouldlikerightnowtodispelanymythsaboutthisschool.Thisschoolneedssomework.Thatisundeniable,butitisaperfectlynebuildingandisbuiltbeDerthananythingwebuildtoday.Ifyouhaveasoundbuildingshell,whichwedo,youcandoanythingyouwanttotheinterior.Itcanredesignedtobeasmodernorasoriginalasyoudesire,andtherearedierentavenuesthroughTheNa

ThesesameargumentsapplytotheWalkerElementarySchoolaswellascountlessotherhistoricIowaschoolsthatanchoroursmalltowns.

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Thisexactissueofthefutureofhistoricschoolsintownissomethingreceivingna

Sowhatcanwedo?Ifweuseourguregroundmap,wecanlookatallofourpublicins

Otherpossibili

ThisbringsustoacurrentissuefacingCoggonandademonstra

Tothisscenario,

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Tothisscenariowerethetreatmentplantislessobvious,notvisiblefrommainstreet,landwouldbeboughtandusedforresiden

Thisistheactualproposedloca

Evenwiththeschoolthere,astandardtreatmentplant,isadangerousideainthissacredsite.Whataboutthepropertyownersaroundthissite?DonttheirpropertyvaluesmaDer?

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Ifwelookatthissitefromasatelliteview..

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Wecanseetheeectsofloosingthesiteasapark.AccordingtoareportfromtheNa

Thereportalsostatesthatiftheparkhasnuisancefeaturessuchasbeingverycrowdedorbeingveryloud,thesepropertyvaluesta

Theaectsarefrightening.

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Luckily,thereareop

Soitjustmakessensethatweshouldlearntouseu

Applica

Tocommercial.

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Tosemiurbanpopula

Ifthesegentlementrustthetechnologyandfounditaworthwhileinvestment,whywouldntwe?

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YouwanttogettheDNRandtheEPAexcited,andyouwantthemtothrowmoneyatyou..showthempictureslikethis.SHOWTHEM!Donttellthem.OnethingthatwillalwaysholdtruenomaDerwhatgrantsorresourcesyouareapplyingforisthataleDerofintentisaweakproposal.Itisnecessary,dontgetmewrong,butyoustatetheproblem,youstateyourintent,andyouaccompanyyourgrantproposalapplica

AhealthyenvironmentiswhataDractsfamiliestomoveintoourcommuni

Noonewantstomovetoghosttown,andnooneisfoolishenoughtotryandstartabusinesswerethereisnotlifetosupportit.Ahouseisnotthesameasahome.Agoodnestencouragesinterac

Ourphysicalenvironmentmaynothavechangedmuch.Thesebuildingsares

IwouldliketosharewithyouwereIgotthislastphoto:ThisisawebsitecalledFlickr,andsinceeverythingisdigitalthesedaysphotographerscanuploadtheirphotostoshareandpromotetheirworkforfree.Thisisthe

Aprofessorofpoli

Therearemanyargumentsastowhatmightbecausingthistrend.Somearguethetelevision,othersanincreasingnumberofsingleparenthouseholds.Ithinkthatthereisamuchsimpleranswer:OurenvironmentsnolongersupportCivicengagement:Wherewouldyourathershop,here?

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Orhere?Whichplacedoyouseeyourselfbumpingintoafamiliarfaceandhavingameaningfulconversa

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Thenthereisthegasissue.Folks,$5gasisnotthatfaraway.Whatsthatgoingtomeanforthefamilybudgetwhenthathappens?

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Wecannotaordtogohereanylonger.Wehavebillstopayandfamiliestosupport.Ourchildrenwanttogotocollege.Thatswereourmoneyshouldbegoing,notthegaspump.GivepeopleabeDerop

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ThisisaHomeDepotItouredlastspringaspartofastudyabroadinVancouver,B.C.Theyhavelimitedundergroundandstreetparking,3ofthe4sidesofthestorehavesmallspecialtyshopsfacingthestreet,uptopontheroofarecondosandapartmentswithaninnercourtyard,andyouknowwhat:theydeliver!

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Iknowwevecoveredsomebigexamplesthatareprobablybeyondthescopeofourruralcommuni

Yousee,thenatureofgreattalesisneitherthattheyare

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