Design Thinking and Minnetonka's Future

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2012-2013 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Minnetonka. Minnetonka has many residential neighborhoods, but neighborhood representation and participation varies widely--from a few formal neighborhood organizations to numerous informal associations and, in many cases, no organizational representation at all. Minnetonka project lead and city planner Jeff Thomson worked with students in LS 5100 to survey existing neighborhood associations in Minnetonka to help the City understand what they do and how they function, and researched local and national models for facilitating and supporting neighborhood organizations. The project also used design thinking to examine how residents currently envision community in Minnetonka. This approach suggested that, because residents socially engage based on mutual interests and activities--such as clubs, schools, and recreational activities--strengthening social ties and community by creating geographically-defined neighborhoods might not be as effective as enhancing or augmenting existing social networks. The students' final report, presentation, and poster are available.