Helpful Resources

The following resources may be helpful to you as background for your design process.  The competition sponsors do not endorse any specific theories espoused in these resources, but offers them for you to stimulate your thinking.  There are numerous resources available on the Internet, many of which are provided as links to the sites listed below.

Life by Design
In February, Minnesota Public Radio ran a brief series on design and how desing has an impact on every day life. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2007/02/02_lifebydesign/

Minnesota: A History of the Land
This four-part documentary was produced by the University of Minnesota’s College of Natural Resources and the Twin Cities Public Television for broadcast in 2005. "Minnesota: A History of the Land" is an epic story that brings to life the landscapes of Minnesota’s past and the people who changed them.  From the retreat of the last ice sheets to the growth of today's suburbs - the series seeks to entertain as it enriches our understanding of Minnesota's past, present and future.  The DVD of the series is available for purchase and on loan through several public libraries.  The website related to the program includes a teachers’ guide and a viewers’ guide.  http://www.historyoftheland.org/

The Eco Gateway – Anthologies
The EcoGateway is an online guide to resources to help individuals and organizations protect the environment and create a sustainable future.  Within the anthologies, several hundred articles are catalogued.  Many articles and illustrations cover design issues related to a broad range of topics such as transportation, green design, urban greening and the built environment.  Of particular relevance to this competition are several resources in the “Sustainability” section.  http://www.ecoiq.com/onlineresources/anthologies/index.html

Project for Public Spaces (PPS)
PPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities.  Their website includes much useful information about what makes or breaks public spaces.  There are photos and resources about all varieties of public space from parks to markets, transportation to mixed-use developments.  http://www.pps.org/

The Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD)
MICD is a partnership program of the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Architectural Foundation, and the United States Conference of Mayors. The MICD helps transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities.  Their website includes several downloadable publications. http://www.micd.org/about/index.htm

Active Resource Center (ALRC)
The role of the ALRC web site is to provide people the resources and tools to help you make walking and bicycling part of their communities' healthy lifestyle. It contains lots of useful information, including steps to take to make communities better places for bikers and pedestrians. http://www.activelivingresources.org/index.php

Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA)
The RTCA, part of the National Park Service, works with community groups and local, State, and federal government agencies to conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. Their website includes useful information about rivers and trails. (See the helpful tools section.) http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/index.htm

Walkable Communities
Walkable Communities is an organization for the express purposes of helping whole communities, whether they are large cities or small towns, or parts of communities, i.e. neighborhoods, business districts, parks, school districts, subdivisions, specific roadway corridors, etc., become more walkable and pedestrian friendly. http://www.walkable.org/

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Smart Growth Initiative
This EPA website aims to help communities grow in ways that expand economic opportunity, protect public health and the environment, and create and enhance the places that people love.  http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/index.htm

Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development. P ublished by the National Association of Local Boards of Health [PDF, 309KB]
This guide is designed for local board of health members and others interested in ensuring that their community’s land use planning decisions do not compromise the public’s health. The guide helps local board of health members promote healthy design choices and minimize or discourage designs that lead to adverse health outcomes.

The Built Environment and Children's Health [PDF, 179KB]
Susan Kay Cummins, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Richard Joseph Jackson, MD, MPH
The built environment embraces a wide range of concepts, from the design and integrity of housing, to land-use and urban planning. A high quality environment is essential for children to achieve optimal health and development. Building and land-use policies, including the quality and design of a child’s physical environment, can cause or prevent illness, disability and injury, and degrade or preserve natural resources.
Note: Single copies of this article may be downloaded and printed only for personal research and study.

Minnesota Rural Partners
http://minnesotaruralpartners.org

Minnesota Design Team
http://www.minnesotadesignteam.org/

Center for Rural Design
http://ruraldesign.coafes.umn.edu/