Mission & History
Vacant lot at 3rd & Maria before garden was built
Putting in raised beds on the lot with local school students in spring 1996
Completed Dayton's Bluff Children's Garden at 3rd & Maria
Mission
The mission of the Community Design Center of Minnesota is to help revitalize low-to-moderate income communities by providing technical assistance and operating programs that will enhance the physical, economic, social, ecological, and spiritual well being of the community and its residents. We believe that building and renewing a community requires a holistic approach that creates long-term sustainable change.
History
The Community Design Center of Minnesota was established as a non-profit Corporation in 1969. During our early years we focused on providing architectural and planning assistance aimed at making physical improvements. In the 1980's we began providing economic development assistance and organizational development training. In the 1990's, we instituted our own programming aimed at addressing weak links in community life. Since the late 1980's, we have operated children's and youth programs on the East Side of St. Paul aimed at engaging them in the civic life of their community as well as providing them with experiences that enrich their lives and develop skills. In 1996, we established a “Youth Enterprise in Food and Ecology” initiative.
A brief synopsis of our past and present work includes:
- Establishing and operating a youth development program on the East Side of St. Paul that now annually serves 600 youth who primarily come from immigrant, refugee, and minority families.
- Working with Southeastern Minnesota Farmers and the Experiment in Rural Cooperation to design and implement a strategy for creating an alternative regional food system. We completed a study of the existing food system and helped in the establishment of the Southeast Minnesota Food Network. This is a group of growers and food processors that have joined together to grow and sell food regionally.
- Establishing a women's microbusiness development project in southeastern Minnesota focusing on food and fiber products, organizing women into peer support networks, and connecting women entrepreneurs with local banks.
- Helping to establish a number of community development organizations and providing interim staffing assistance (e.g. East-Side Neighborhood Development Company, Inc., North End Area Revitalization, Inc., Hamline-Midway Area Rehabilitation Corporation, Whittier Alliance, and the Selby Area Community Development Corporation).
- Conducting action research including: Recommendations for Improving Dunning Field (prepared for the Lexington-Hamline Community Council), Increasing Home Ownership in the Phillips, Powderhorn Park, and Central Neighborhoods of South Minneapolis (prepared for the Fannie Mae Corporation), and Housing Opportunities for the Southeast Asian Refugee Community (prepared for the St. Paul mayor's office).
- Conducting strategic planning and organizational development training for a number of citizen participation and community development organizations.
Publications
Copies of publications may be available, contact us for more info.
Essays on Women and Food by Ruth Murphy
- “Good Food, Good Health, And Have A Nice Millennium,” 1995
- “Awakenings,” 1994
- “Women — The Missing Link,” 1994
Organization Publications
- “East Side Ecology Walking Tour,” 2002
- “Fresh From The Garden” — A Collection of 32 Recipes, 2001
- “Finding Food In Farm Country” (Commissioned by the Community Design Center), 2001
- “Fostering Home Ownership” — A Report to Fannie Mae Corporation, 1999
- “Dunning Field: Report & Recommendations,” 1995
- “Women's Microbusiness Research Report,” 1994
- “Workshop — Addressing Neighborhood Issues,” 1993
- “Background And Strategies For Realizing The Housing/Economic Development Potential Of Southeast Asian Refugees Living In St. Paul,” 1993
- “Small Towns; Culture, Change, & Cooperation” — For the Western Governors' Association, 1992
- “Rural Culture And Values” — For the Western Governors' Association, 1992
- “Report To Community Action For Suburban Hennepin,” 1992
- “Report on Ministry Opportunities In Whittier To The Study Task Force Of The Council On United Action Of The Presbytery Of The Twin Cities Area,” 1989
- “Report On Neighborhood Empowerment To The City Of St. Paul,” 1989
- “Selby Avenue Market Analysis And Revitalization” (In Collaboration with Laventhol & Horwarth), 1988
- “A Community Development Handbook — If You Think There's Nothing/Something You Can Do About Your Neighborhood, Read This Book,” 1987
- “Workshop — The 1986 Tax Reform Act: Implications For Neighborhood Development,” 1987
- “Smith Avenue Retail Market Analysis,” 1985
- “Franklin Avenue: Prospects For Development,” 1984
- “Railroad Island — A Hopeful Future,” 1979
- “North Side Housing Study,” 1978
- “Snelling/Selby — Commercial Area Improvement Plan,” 1978
- “Housing Reports for Lyndale, Standish, Central, Bryant, Bancroft, Corcoran, Powderhorn, Whittier, and Phillips Neighborhoods,” 1977
- “An Improvement Plan For Elliot Park Neighborhood” (In Partnership with the Minneapolis Planning Department), 1977
- “North End Focus” — A Community Action Proposal for the North End of St. Paul, 1976