Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
Do you live in a small town or city (50,000 people or less)? Do you have great ideas (and/or do you think there are some big ideas in your community) about ways to improve life in your town? Not sure where to get started? Bring the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design to your community to run a workshop on how to improve life and economic viability through planning, design and creative placemaking.
“The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council and buildingcommunityWORKSHOP. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking.
CIRD is intended to empower local citizens to capitalize on unique local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program goals include:
Building capacity in rural communities to plan comprehensive revitalization strategies;
Introducing creative placemaking, arts, culture, and design strategies as drivers of economic development in rural America;
Facilitating a network of rural communities for idea exchanges and peer learning; and
Preparing communities to be ready and competitive for state and federal funding opportunities.
CIRD provides access to the resources that communities need to convert their own good ideas into reality. The program offers competitive funding to small towns and rural and tribal communities to host a multi-day community design workshop. With support from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local residents and local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to the community's pressing design challenges. The community receives additional support through webinars, web-based resources, and customized follow-up support after the workshop.
CIRD also includes support for up to 20 additional rural communities. Selected community leaders are invited to gather together for peer learning; training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques; and support in navigating funding opportunities to make their vision a reality. Both parts of the CIRD program connect rural residents with resources and ideas for developing locally driven solutions to community design challenges.”
How do I get started? Click here.
How do I expand this narrative arc? Looking for more ways to make an impact on your community?
Bring greenery indoors by launching a Hybrid Urban Bioscape.
Study sustainable urban design at an interesting and provocative summer program based in Brooklyn
If you live in a dry climate, launch a Xeri-scaping awareness campaign to promote the use of drought-resistant plants in landscaping.
If you live in an area that has issues environmental contamination, Save the Earth with Sunflowers (which draw heavy metals from the soil).
Promote energy conservation through a campaign to paint the dark roofs of buildings white withThe White Roof Project.
HOT TIP: Lots of kids have great grades and board scores, but few can show that they’ve made a real impact on their community. This is a great way to get started, and to stand out from the pack!