Dublin is one of eight locations in the United States that has been chosen to be part of Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) as a workshop community.
CIRD is funded by National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council.
Library Director Adina Dunn started the application process on behalf of the city. The project identified is to improve the design of the local farmer’s market, making it a “producer to consumer” market. The design project will transform an old pavilion at the City Park, engage local farms, agritourism, and help ensure the community receives access to fresh, healthy foods in an area with a high rate of food insecurity.
“Dublin is one of only eight communities across the country selected for a 2023-2024 Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) Local Design Workshop. The National Endowment for the Arts convened a selection panel of rural design experts and community development practitioners to recommend applicants for the CIRD Local Design Workshops. Dublin’s application offered a clear design challenge while providing examples of the community’s capacity and collaborative spirit. Ultimately, CIRD looks for Local Design Workshop proposals likely to enhance the quality of life, economic vitality, and civic infrastructure in rural communities,” said Shonterria Charleston, the Housing Assistance Council’s (HAC) Director of Training and Technical Assistance. The Housing Assistance Council carries out the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and CIRD’s design partner TBD Studio.
Working with communities with populations of 50,000 or less, this national initiative has two primary components: local design workshops and a design learning cohort. The 17 selected communities in the design learning cohort, as well as the eight workshop communities, will meet online monthly over the course of 14 months.
“I am thrilled that the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design is able to extend its reach to more rural populations this year by supporting additional workshops,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “These activities exemplify how communities can come together to leverage design, enhancing quality of life, economic vitality, and civic infrastructure.”
With guidance from a range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops convene local residents and leaders from nonprofits, community organizations, and government to explore design ideas to revitalize their communities.
“Dublin is one of only eight communities across the country selected for a 2023-2024 Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) Local Design Workshop. The National Endowment for the Arts convened a selection panel of rural design experts and community development practitioners to recommend applicants for the CIRD Local Design Workshops. Dublin’s application offered a clear design challenge while providing examples of the community’s capacity and collaborative spirit. Ultimately, CIRD looks for Local Design Workshop proposals likely to enhance the quality of life, economic vitality, and civic infrastructure in rural communities.”
The first initial community-wide stakeholders meeting has occurred Thursday, April 11 bringing together library staff, media, city representatives and staff from CIRD and Housing Assistance Council.
With guidance from a range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops convene local residents and leaders from nonprofits, community organizations, and government to explore design ideas to revitalize their communities.
Dublin will also participate in the design learning cohort, where they will receive training in rural design and creative placemaking, coaching on facilitation techniques, assistance navigating funding opportunities, and one-on-one technical assistance on their community design project.
As part of the process, multi- day design workshops will offer hybrid in-person and virtual sessions to allow for citizen input. The workshop communities will also receive a design book that contains the design concepts and suggested resources from their workshop, as well as support through webinars, web-based resources, and customized follow-up support after the workshop. This design book will aid Dublin is securing grants for the project.
CIRD has provided design assistance to rural communities since 1991 and this is the fifth year working with the Housing Assistance Council as the NEA’s initiative partner. The program has design support from To Be Done Studio. To date, the National Endowment for the Arts has engaged more than 120 communities in all regions of the country. For more information about the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, visit www.rural-design. org.