Written by: Richard Colwell May 6th, 2020
Online Community Engagement
On April 16th the Northview Rising community group, myself, and fellow K-State Landscape Architecture students held their second Neighborhood Night continuing the development of conceptual plans for the Northview area. The meeting itself brought in over 30 community members and supporters of development for the Northview community.
Figure 1: Colwell, R. (2020, May). Class Virtual Meeting for Community Engagement Studio
The event kicked off by introducing our teams and what our teams’ duties were during this project. This was accomplished by having appointed leads of each team showcase the project’s concept designs in a PowerPoint and speak solely to keep a linear style presentation moving smoothly.
Figure 2: Harris, A., Wulfkuhle, M., Birzendine, N., & Franks, E. (2020, April). Early Concept of Pedestrian Way. Retrieved May 06, 2020, from https://northviewnow.wixsite.com/nvnow/design-solutions
Figure 3: Belk, A., & Huang, X. (2020, April). Educational Pamphlet. Retrieved May 06, 2020, from https://northviewnow.wixsite.com/nvnow/design-solutions-1
Figure 4: Seagrist, E., Sobotka, V., & Ornelas, D. (2020, April). Conceptual Master Plan for Design Strategies. Retrieved May 06, 2020, from https://northviewnow.wixsite.com/nvnow/design-solitions
Reception
Our class and presentation were met with mostly positive review, with a listening member giving critique on some of the conceptual designs, and what shortfalls could come with them. The teams took in the communities’ comments and suggestions and used that to further the concepts. These will be shown at the upcoming neighborhood night.
My Personal Takeaway
Growing up in Manhattan Kansas and in the Northview area, I have learned that this area harbors community members from all walks of life. It was interesting seeing fellow community members, some of whom I grew up knowing, still keeping the spirit of the neighborhood alive. One thing I can personally say about this community is that the people are resilient, hardworking, and not afraid to lend help to neighbors in need. This communal ethos is what keeps its members pushing forward despite the adversity the community has faced and is facing.