We often make excuses for why our small towns and rural places aren’t prioritizing good design. We bemoan the lack of talent, the limited resources, the political climate. Needless to say, championing design in rural places takes gumption.
Yet we know that good design does make a difference in the success of rural communities. In Good Design Matters, Ed McMahon makes the case that design impacts tourism, jobs, property values and quality of life.
What can we do to bring good design to small towns and rural communities? Here are a few inspiring examples of creative ways designers are beating the odds and enriching towns with great design.
Emily Pilloton of Project H knows both the struggles and joys of introducing design to a rural community. Working in rural Bertie County, North Carolina, Emily developed a studio course that taught high school students design and building skills through community improvement projects. In small town Ohio, Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert of Energize Clinton County are cultivating good design through historic preservation and economic development.
Emily, Mark and Taylor shared inspiring stories and lessons learned on the recent CommunityMatters® and Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ webinar. Here are their tips for introducing good design in rural communities:
A community is most likely to embrace design that nods to the local context and culture. New to the area? Follow advice from Maria Sykes of Epicenter Utah: go to council meetings, get on planning commissions, attend basketball games. Be an active citizen and participate in the culture before starting your work.
Emily Pilloton embraces audacity. Her first assignment to high school students in rural Bertie County? “Design the craziest chicken coop you can come up with.” That was followed by an even more audacious project—design and build a 2,000-square-foot farmers’ market. There was a potentially easier plan. Pick up a few tents and folding tables and call it a day. But the Windsor Super Market, pictured above, does more than just create a space for selling local food. It offers a beautiful civic structure that the whole community can be proud of.
Want to get people thinking about design? Start with a simple, yet visible, project. Greensboro, Alabama’s Pie Lab brings together pie and conversation for social change. The premise is as simple as it gets: everyone loves pie.
Rural design projects need champions. Those who are not are not afraid to stir the pot to get things done. Mark and Taylor got people on board with a relatively benign approach—a building tour for local residents. The event capitalized on people’s natural curiosity about historic buildings while showcasing the investment potential of vacant lofts and storefronts. Since the tour, almost all of the ten buildings visited have been renovated.
Project H and Energize Clinton County both take advantage of the summer months when school is out. Project H employs youth to build student-designed projects. Energize Clinton County hosts college-aged fellows who are paid to provide design services to local businesses. Young people get a sweet summer job out of the deal along with professional experience while businesses receive needed help with websites, graphics and more.
Rural communities often struggle to accept newcomers. On the next CommunityMatters and Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design webinar, Ben Winchester talks about trends in rural migration along with advice for attracting and retaining newcomers. Register now.
