10

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

for LIVABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES

A project of Design:SD Illustrations by Paul H. Boerboom, AIA, and Jeremy Altman, Assoc. AIA

Adapted primarily from AIAs Ten Principles for Livable Communities, with inspiration from Minnesota Design Team and several other sources

Design on
a human scale.
Communities that provide safe options for walking, biking and
using public transitin addition to drivingto places such as
shops, services, cultural resources and jobs can encourage
community interaction and benefit peoples health.

1
2

Plan for
mixed uses.
Integrating land uses that work well together, such
as retail, residential and green space, and separating
land uses that dont, such as manufacturing and
downtown retail, creates vibrant, pedestrian-friendly
and diverse communities.

2 color:

People want variety in housing, shopping, recreation,

transportation and employment. Variety creates lively
communities and accommodates residents in different
stages of their lives.

3
4

Build connections.

Provide choices.

Preserve the
communitys core.
Restoring, revitalizing and infilling Main Streets and
downtowns takes advantage of existing streets, services and
buildings, avoiding the need for new infrastructure. Strong
downtowns help preserve and enhance a communitys
identity.

Prominent gateways into communities,

Grey 35c clear
/ 0m /wayfinding
0y / 70k
and connections between neighborhoods
that
accommodate
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both walking and driving can serve as guides to help
visitors
know
they
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text: where
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P RO J ECT
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and how to get where they are going.

For more27cinformation
about
/ 0m / 16y / 12k
0c / 90m / 86y / 0k
Design:SD, go to designsd.org.
35c / 0m / 0y / 70k

0c / 0m / 10y / 0k

Poster design by

dakotafire.net

M E D I A , L LC

10

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

for LIVABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES

A project of Design:SD Illustrations by Paul H. Boerboom, AIA, and Jeremy Altman, Assoc. AIA

Adapted primarily from AIAs Ten Principles for Livable Communities, with inspiration from Minnesota Design Team and several other sources

6
Promote
community identity.
A sense of place gives communities
a unique character, enhances appeal for visitors
and creates pride in the community.

Create shared social

and public spaces.
Citizens need welcoming, well-defined public places to stimulate
face-to-face interaction, collectively celebrate and mourn, encourage
civic participation, admire public art and gather for public events.

7
8

Conserve natural
resources and
landscapes.
Designing development with the surrounding natural world also in mind
reduces air and water pollution, protects property values, preserves
agricultural and natural systems and encourages peoples connection
to those systems. Vibrant landscapes can provide diverse recreational
opportunities for residents and visitors.

Develop strategies
for economic
development and
marketing.

Plans for building the communitys economic health and

spreading the word about its assets should be part of a
communitys design discussions. Beautiful, functional spaces
can enhance a communitys other efforts.

10
Poster design by

dakotafire.net

M E D I A , L LC

Design matters.
Design excellence is the foundation
of successful, healthy and
vibrant communities.

For more information about

Design:SD, go to designsd.org.

P RO J E C T W E B S T E R