Randall Arendt brings home message of conservation design

Hugo City Hall features conservation design landscaping

Randall Arendt returned to the Twin Cities in mid-October, bringing his message of creative development design. In an evening presentation at Minnetonka Community Center, and a day-long bus tour in the east Metro, he presented his innovative ideas about preserving local character, protecting natural resources and supporting economies while still accommodating new residential and commercial developments.

The evening presentation featured Mr. Arendt, whose comments were punctuated by dozens of photographs he has taken at conservation developments around the country, as well as shots of less thoughtful streetscapes, parking lots and subdivisions. He has mastered the art of showing what he means, inspiring audience members to eagerly ask how they can make conservation development possible in their communities.

After Mr. Arendt’s presentation, Jay Michels, of Emmons & Olivier Resources, gave a compelling talk about Low Impact Development (LID), stressing the connection between what happens on the land and the receiving waters. Mr. Arendt then joined four panelists to take questions from the audience.

Though the following day threatened rain, nearly three dozen people from CGO communities showed up for a bus tour of sites in the east Metro featuring creative conservation development designs. Stops included:

- Maplewood Mall parking lot, Fields of St. Croix and Cloverdale Farm, Discovery Crossing, Liberty on the Lake, Jackson Meadow, Hugo City Hall, HB Fuller parking lots and the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District offices.

See links below for more information about the events.