Client: City of Shakopee, Minnesota

Community Visioning: Designed comprehensive strategic planning and community visioning initiative in response to explosive growth and diverse perspectives on future of community.

Project included the following components:

• Identifying and analyzing stakeholders, including the large number of new immigrants
• Obtaining perspectives, ideas, and input from the broad cross-section of community stakeholders
• Working with the steering committee to identify and articulate community values
• Identifying key issues and preparing rigorous issues briefs
• Conducting a mapping workshop to identify goals, strategies, and tactics
• Preparing a community vision framework
• Conducting “toolbox” workshops for elected and appointed officials
• Providing regular City Council and community updates
• Managing appointed steering committee and incorporating work by seven planning and policy graduate students

Engaging children to draw pictures of their vision for the future

Community members reviewed data and generated ideas

Hundreds of community members offered ideas

Community members reviewed demograhics and offered ideas about the future

Neighbors talked through and wrote down their ideas

Subcommittee members kicked off their work

Teens offered great ideas about their future

Steering Committee members and stakeholders participated in a "Toolbox" workshop

Participants deliberated long-term strategies and goals

Council and Committee members mapped key strategies and goals