The University of Minnesota Extension Regional
Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDPs) will host “Thriving by Design,” a
rural design conference at the University of Minnesota Crookston on
Wednesday and Thursday, July 30-31, 2014. The event will be held from the
evening of Wednesday, July 30, 2014, through the afternoon of Thursday, July
31.
Registration is available online at rsdp.umn.edu. In-person
registration opens Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at 4 p.m. and Thursday, July 31 at
7:30 a.m. in Bede Ballroom in Sargent Student Center at UMC. The
registration fee is $75.
Design process inherently takes
a systematic approach to defining problems and developing solutions. The
system connects various components across sectors and disciplines as well as
geographic and time scales. This conference will focus on three tracks or
lenses through which to view these systems, and the challenges to be
addressed.
Nature-based recreation and tourism focuses on the natural
landscape and habitats, and the many ways people enjoy time in nature.
Food system explores cropping systems, food production at
garden and farm scales, and the decisions people make individually and
collectively about food choices.
Extension Reconsidered offers an opportunity to reflect on
the role of University of Minnesota Extension over the past century and to
consider the ways Extension can meet the challenges Minnesotan communities will
face in the coming decades.
Dewey
Thorbeck, director for Center of Rural Design, says, “Rural and urban
futures are inextricably linked through design thinking
integrating human, animal, and environmental wellness."
A discussion featuring several panel guests from a
variety of professions and areas of expertise will take place on Thursday, July
30 at 9:00 a.m. This discussion will address areas of concern within each
track followed by a question and answer period. Breakout sessions will
run from 12:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Breakout sessions will provide
participants an opportunity to learn how to apply design thinking and the
design process to address the challenges faced by a community or organization
through an iterative and collaborative approach to problem solving.
A traveling rural design exhibit will also be displayed
throughout the conference.
Community leaders, elected officials, and planners,
especially those from rural and small urban areas, designers, and anyone
interested in learning about the use of design and design thinking as
a problem-solving opportunity are encouraged to attend. You will gain
experience in visualizing and using design to achieve, sustain, and strengthen
community vitality across our region. By using design and design thinking
techniques, you will help create, select, and frame ideas and goals that can
inform Minnesota's community development.
The conference is sponsored by The University of
Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, a part of UMN
Extension; the UMN Center for Rural Design; University of Minnesota Crookston;
the EDA Center at the University of Minnesota Crookston; and Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Minnesota Center for Prevention.
