And Finally…

Karen Kurt, December 12, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Assistant City Manager Karen Kurt and City Manager Intern Ari Klugman After 313 days, 24 meetings and 35 different versions of maps, the Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee (NISC) presented its report and recommendations at a City Council work session …
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Maps and More Maps

Karen Kurt, November 27, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

The Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee is wrapping up their work on the Name Your Neighborhood project. As part of the final report, Committee member Bob Moore did an analysis of the maps created during the Name Your Neighborhood Process. To …
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Naming Neighborhoods: An Exercise in Grassroots Democracy

Guest, November 21, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Hope Melton, Chair of the Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee It was a cold and dark evening in late January when twelve members of the Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee (NISC) came together for the first time. The City of Edina …
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Neighborhood Associations Promoted as a Best Local Government Practice

Guest, October 25, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Ari Klugman Last week, I returned from the International City/County Managers Association’s annual conference in Phoenix. Besides an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful sun, catch up with former colleagues and learn about all the latest practices in local government …
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Neighborhoods Nurture the Heart of Democracy

Guest, October 17, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Hope Melton, Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee Chair A 2012 Edina Reads selection was Healing the Heart of Democracy by Parker Palmer. After reading this book and attending a related community event, I was struck by its relevance to our …
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Neighborhood Q&A With St. Louis Park

Karen Kurt, October 4, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

St. Louis Park is one of the communities Edina has been referencing during the Name Your Neighborhood project. Marney Olson serves as their Community Liaison. One of her primary duties is overseeing St. Louis Park’s neighborhood program. I had a …
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The Sum of the Parts

Guest, September 27, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Bruce Carlson I am a member of the Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee and have been focusing on the Northwest Quadrant of Edina. One of things I have learned through serving on the Name Your Neighborhood project is that everyone …
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No More Orphans

Guest, September 21, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Ari Klugman, City Manager Intern From our research, we know that cities tend to take one of two approaches with respect to neighborhood identification. One approach is what I will call the “organic” approach. Neighborhood associations develop naturally from …
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Great Turnout and Input!

Karen Kurt, September 13, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

Thank you to everyone who attended the community meeting last night! We received a lot of thoughtful comments that the committee will use as they continue to refine their recommendations for neighborhood boundaries and names. If you (or your neighbor) …
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Good Neighbors as an Extended Family

Karen Kurt, August 23, 2012 | Posted in Name Your Neighborhood

By Hope Melton, Neighborhood Identification Steering Committee Chair In a recent Star-Tribune article, an editorial writer described good neighbors as helping them to “navigate the vicissitudes of life.” Fancy words – but they resonated with me. So what does “navigating …
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