By Siraj Asfahani | October 15, 2014
Daniel has been invited to speak this week at the 2014 Mississippi River Conference in Moline about a web-based forum for community dialog that Lakota recently helped some wonderful long-term clients establish. For almost 20 years Lakota has worked closely with the Quad Cities community and with River Action, a Davenport-based organization that advocates for the environmental, economic and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad Cities. Building upon an update to the Quad Cities Framework Plan, Lakota helped River Action establish a website where people can discuss sites located on the river that may have development or other enhancement potential. Users can place pins on the map and tag them with desired uses, which other users are then able to indicate support for, or comment on. Significantly, this is not connected with any current study or planning effort. Instead, it is a standing web-based forum for ongoing, long-term, community dialog. The goal is not only to help build community engagement and inform future municipal decision-making, but also to allow interested developers to gain a sense of what opportunities are available and how much public support they may have, leading to more successful projects that address community needs.
We are proud of our ability to problem-solve for our clients, to build upon solid work such as the Framework Plan, and to innovate. But we are especially proud of the long-term friendships we have developed over the years in places like the Quad Cities. That’s why we wouldn’t miss the conference, and look forward to seeing some old friends at Wednesday night’s kick-off event and wild catfish fry.
