The Lakota Group led a team that identified placemaking strategies and opportunities to enhance the community’s quality of life. The process built upon several of the city’s placemaking components mentioned in previous planning projects. The goal was to create a clear, documented, and shared vision for placemaking that would set the stage for private and public activities to better establish St. Cloud’s sense of place. In addition to facilitating conversations with a range of stakeholders, such as property owners, city leaders, business owners, and citizens, Lakota used a short documentary-style video to educate participants about the placemaking process. In the end, Lakota developed a plan that will cultivate St. Cloud’s vitality and sense of place through both short- and long-term placemaking initiatives.

The St. Cloud Placemaking Plan won a Merit Award for Communication from the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2015.