Category Archives: Placemaking

Madison Coffee Shop Reopening as Coffee/Wine Bar

Posted on March 14, 2010 by

UPDATE:  Mochavino opens Saturday, March 20 at 100 S Egan Ave in Madison, SD. I’ve been a big fan of third places since I stepped foot in my first coffeehouse about 17 years ago (the sadly defunct Your House for … Continue reading →

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Heart & Soul

Posted on October 22, 2009 by

The Knight Foundation recently released the report of their 2008 Soul of the Community Study to find out just what creates the emotional ties people have to their communities…essentially, what inspires them to root themselves in a particular place. What … Continue reading →

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Online Public Participation: Wave of the More Creative, More Democratic Future

Posted on July 13, 2009 by

I just came across an intriguing idea that the Balitmore Office of Promotion and the Arts has been running for the last six months. In January, they used a Flickr photostream (FREE, by the way), the Baltimore Infill Survey, to … Continue reading →

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With Apologies to Scott Russell Sanders

Posted on August 6, 2008 by

I hadn’t heard of Scott Russell Sanders when I wrote this last year. So all my talk in that essay of “I’m staying home” and “we’ll do something profoundly counter-cultural: stay put” wasn’t at all influenced by Sanders’ book Staying … Continue reading →

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Inspiring Small Town Story of the Day

Posted on January 15, 2008 by

It’s been a little over a year since 17-year-old Nick Graham reopened the sole grocery store in downtown Truman, Minnesota. Wait a minute. 17?? Yep. Read all about it here. He’s not the stock boy; he’s the owner. (Photo by … Continue reading →

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Among The Reasons I Like James Howard Kunstler

Posted on October 2, 2007 by

He says stuff like this: “It’s not OK to put up buildings that are unworthy of our affection.” “People who are capable of generating hope are people who know the difference between wishing for stuff and making stuff happen.” Hear … Continue reading →

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Mason’s: Plan B

Posted on August 3, 2007 by

Given the possibility that our beloved local Mason’s building may never see brighter days–it has sat mostly empty for the last decade, after all–Cory and I have been trying to think of outside-the-box ideas for what could stand in its … Continue reading →

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Andy Goldsworthy on Staying Put

Posted on July 25, 2007 by

I finally watched the 2001 documentary Rivers and Tides about Scottish environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. He does amazing, mostly transient, sculptures with natural elements like stone, leaves, and ice. I should not have been surprised to hear him say this … Continue reading →

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Where All The Lights Should Be Bright: Part II

Posted on June 9, 2007 by

Economic development is a hot topic in Madison. In fact, the governor just named our fair town “Large Community of the Year” (um, that’s “large” in South Dakota terms—Madison’s population is 6,500!) primarily because of funds raised by the economic … Continue reading →

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Where All The Lights Should Be Bright

Posted on May 21, 2007 by

Mr. Prairie Roots has referred to some posts I have brewing about downtowns (especially small towns’ downtowns) and how vital they are to communities. First, though, I’ll talk about this place, the old Masonic Temple, most commonly known around town … Continue reading →

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