In a special guest post, the Orton Family Foundation's Ariana McBride answers the question: what can you do to help find a balance between community wisdom and design & planning professionals in your community’s rural design project?

In 2010, a Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design workshop in Taos, New Mexico helped reinvigorate a public plaza and create a new network of pathways and sidewalks.  At an Elk Horn City, Kentucky workshop in 2011, attendees identified creative solutions to connect the community with its riverfront.  In dozens of communities across the country, similar workshops have helped rural communities use design to solve challenges like improving walkability, curbing sprawl, and attracting tourists by enhancing local heritage.