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"Since each city has different characteristics, it is important to use existing institutions like churches or schools to engage people in ways that are comfortable to them, or to create new organizations to involve citizens who typically don't participate in the decision-making process." or schools to engage people in ways that are comfortable to them, or to create new organizations to involve citizens who typically don't participate in the decision- making process. The National Civic League's Millennium Project is an excellent source for cities considering the visioning process. The project's Web site (www.cdinet/Mill/Ke- source/vision.htrnl) features local examples of and references na- tional organizations available to help your city. Several notable city exanaples stand out. Portland, Org. has achieved a much-deserved reputa- tion for its high quality of life through its comprehensive, re- gional visioning process. This pro- cess began in the early 1980s and has provided clear directions for local decision-makers with its fo- cus on downtown and waterfront revitalization, support for mass transit, and political and legal mandates to maintain an urban growth boundary to prevent de- velopment in the surrounding farmlands. Chattanooga, Tenn. has won praise for its community-based Vision 2000 focusing on sustainability. During the past 10 years, this once maligned ciW vir- tually eliminated its longstanding air pollution problem, began cleaning up waste sites located in minority neighborhoods, and built an enormously popular and eco- nomically successful fi'esh water aquarium on its previously aban- doned riverfront. And back home in Minnesota, dozens of small cities have partici- pated in the award-winning Min- nesota Design Team visioning pro- cess. Originally conceived by a small group of architecture and landscape architecture students in the early-1980s, the Design Team is a well-established and respected group of volunteer professionals as- sisting communities in planning and designing a viable, appropriate future. The Design Team works not only on design issues like main street improvements, but also with the fundamental planning process that allows communities to take initiative and plan a future that re- flects the cormaaunity's dreams and interests. According to the Design Team, successful community vi- sioning includes: shared ownership of the visioning process; a compre- hensive community inventm3~; in- terdisciplinary teams; democratic brainstorming and discussion of community issues; and finding an individual or agency to spearhead implementation of the vision. In the final analysis, visioning is neither a marc wand nor a silver bullet for solving the problems of cities. It is, at its best, a rebirth of citizenship that will create our flight plan and guide us safely into ire new millennium. ~' Dr. W. Arthur Mehrhoff is professor qf local and urban affairs at Saint Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. "in the final analysis, visioning is neither a magic wand nor a silver bullet for solving the problems of cities. It is, at its best, a rebirth of citizenship that will create our flight plan and guide us safely into the new millennium." · Assess and inventor3, the community--including Census, business, and visual data · Identify the important trends and issues · Establish civic goals and objectives · Outline Barriers to identified goals and objectives · Locate available resources · Create a time frame and assign responsibilities · Determine appropriate pro~ess indicators Reprinted from Taking Charge and Managing Change: Basic Outline for Developing Communit3, Vision-for the Future, published bY the American Planning Association, 177~ Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, DC 2003~. 12 MINNESOTA CITIES OCTOBE~k 1997