Community gathers to find vision of the future Hillsdale
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: News
About 30 citizens of Hillsdale gathered at the Elk's Lodge on Wednesday to envision Hillsdale in 15 years, as part of Michigan State University's Small Town Design Initiative.
The discussion, led by Warren Rauhe, the director of the initiative and a professor at the Univer-sity of Michigan, covered citizens' favorite and least favorite things about Hillsdale.
Then Rauhe encouraged them to share ideas about what changes they would like to see, with an emphasis on changes in the city's aesthetics and design.
A number of citizens said they wished the community had a better relationship with Hillsdale College and the students here.
Several mentioned that they would like the old flour mill to be torn down.
Others complained that the city's bureaucracy makes it difficult for businesses to thrive.
No decisions were made, but the meeting was an important step towards long-term change in Hillsdale.
The STDI is a program run by Michigan State University's School of Landscape Design. Towns in Michigan -- meaning communities with populations of 500 to 15,000 -- can apply to be part of it. If the program accepts them, senior design students from the university come to the town and create images showing ways the town could improve, especially on an aesthetic level.
Adam Smith, the Jonesville village manager, explained the program in terms of before and after pictures, saying that the students and professors start by creating digital images of a community, holding community meetings to decide what kind of improvements they should illustrate, and then creating the "after" images based on residents' input.
"They simply ask the question of 'What do you want Hillsdale to look like in 10 years? What do you want Jonesville to look like in 10 years?'" said Smith.
Over the course of the program, the members will hold five meetings: four in the community and one on the university campus.
At Wednesday's meeting, Rauhe simply asked citizens for information on the initial changes they would like to see.
The discussion, led by Warren Rauhe, the director of the initiative and a professor at the Univer-sity of Michigan, covered citizens' favorite and least favorite things about Hillsdale.
Then Rauhe encouraged them to share ideas about what changes they would like to see, with an emphasis on changes in the city's aesthetics and design.
A number of citizens said they wished the community had a better relationship with Hillsdale College and the students here.
Several mentioned that they would like the old flour mill to be torn down.
Others complained that the city's bureaucracy makes it difficult for businesses to thrive.
No decisions were made, but the meeting was an important step towards long-term change in Hillsdale.
The STDI is a program run by Michigan State University's School of Landscape Design. Towns in Michigan -- meaning communities with populations of 500 to 15,000 -- can apply to be part of it. If the program accepts them, senior design students from the university come to the town and create images showing ways the town could improve, especially on an aesthetic level.
Adam Smith, the Jonesville village manager, explained the program in terms of before and after pictures, saying that the students and professors start by creating digital images of a community, holding community meetings to decide what kind of improvements they should illustrate, and then creating the "after" images based on residents' input.
"They simply ask the question of 'What do you want Hillsdale to look like in 10 years? What do you want Jonesville to look like in 10 years?'" said Smith.
Over the course of the program, the members will hold five meetings: four in the community and one on the university campus.
At Wednesday's meeting, Rauhe simply asked citizens for information on the initial changes they would like to see.
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