Groundwork Spring 2009

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. CONSULTING: Well begun is half(way) done -Aristotle This is our motto at Groundwork! In the spirit of smart starts, we have put together for our client, 2010 Partners, a series of recommendations to support the collaborative effort of creating a new urban center in Minneapolis. This new center is soon to become a local and regional nexus of recreation, transportation, energy and perhaps even education. Groundwork believes that the better prepared stakeholders are, the greater chance to take advantage of potential city building opportunities, all in an effort to - loosely quoting our favorite urban thinker, Bill Morrish - create spatial configurations that supports social interaction and economic transaction. Groundwork knows that city building is a delightfully messy process - or series of processes - simultaneously defining the scope of a project, identifying partners and funding sources, and cultivating political and community support while at the same time coordinating efforts with other plans and projects to create places that function well and where people want to be. Groundwork tries to bridge the gaps between these various processes and connect the dots between projects by facilitating stakeholder communication, coordinating organizational development and providing design expertise – all in an effort to support stakeholder collaboration and successful implementation of a project! ADVOCATING: A HERCulean effort Because repetition is our friend, we feel the need to re-visit HERC (Hennepin Energy Recovery Center) and extol its virtues again. We sense that many have been missing the forest for the trees with respect to our pal HERC. HERC is a neighborhood amenity that provides an invaluable community service by disposing of 356,000 tons of garbage a year for Hennepin County. This garbage is converted into enough electricity to power 25,000 households, or 1/5 of all the residences in Minneapolis. Not only is it a 24/7/365 powerhouse, it is also a green building, to boot. Powerful as it is, HERC could do even more. HERC's operators cite the plant's unused capacity, and desire to contribute additional steam/water heating and cooling for the North Loop neighborhood. Like any building over 20 years old, it needs a bit of updating. A proposed makeover by Hennepin County and Covanta Energy, originally designed by students from the University of Minnesota, shows how the building and grounds could be transformed. So, as a city that touts itself as being green and wanting to be more sustainable, we should be celebrating HERC and supporting its efforts to become a better neighbor and community landmark. Visit our expanded collection of images featuring unique waste to energy facilities from around the world. COLLECTING: A crisis is a terrible thing to waste -Unknown Despite being in a historic time of economic instability, many cities have been creating opportunity out of adversity. New York, Stockholm and Paris, to name a few, have used this uncertain time to think strategically and commission bold plans that could transform their cities. Check out a selection of timely, informative and inspiring articles that describe these visions. If you would like to learn more about Groundwork, discuss a city building project you have in mind, or want to comment on information in our newsletter, please give me a call or send a note. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Mary deLaittre Founder and Principal mary@groundworkcitybuilding.com 612.242.6286 Our mailing address is: Groundwork 4949 Woodlawn Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55417 Our telephone: 612.242.6286 Copyright (C) 2007 Groundwork All rights reserved.