Panethos<p><strong>Planning lessons harvested from the Kansas prairie</strong></p><p>Just some cultivated planning thoughts from our multiple trips to and through <em>the Sunflower State</em>. These lessons are not provided in order of importance. Peace!</p> Source: fity.club <ul><li>The beauty of a prairie is subtle. It’s not sharply defined by mountain peak nor a rugged coastline. Instead, it is shaped by the elegant blossom of a sunflower, by the rich amber fields of of wheat waving in the breeze, by a towering thunderhead in the distance, by an old barn set against a blue horizon, by a solitary meadowlark singing on a fencepost, or by countless other features that both depict and define the Great Plains. </li></ul><ul><li>Reuse or re-adaptation of grain elevators and silos as murals, event venues, and climbing towers are excellent community placemaking options.</li></ul><ul><li>What lies beneath the earth can be just as important, if not more important than what is situated at the surface. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ogallala Aquifer</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencepost_limestone" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">post rock limestone</a> are just two examples.</li></ul> Source: en.wikipedia.org <ul><li>In the same vein, the hidden human talent lying just beneath the surface in Small Town America is an underutilized resource that more communities need to learn how to tap.</li></ul><ul><li>Lawrence, Kansas is one of those special college towns that exudes eclectic fun, energy, electricity, and a cultural vibrancy that radiates throughout the community. If that could only be bottled…</li></ul> University of Kansas Jayhawk art in Lawrence – Photo by the author <ul><li>Some of the most interesting and rewarding places to visit while traveling are away from the interstate. Taking extra time to explore off the beaten path provides many useful and unexpected insights for a community planner. You never quite know when you will stumble on the next great idea, but it sure won’t be from the freeway.</li></ul><ul><li>Placemaking takes just a seed of an idea, which when planted, watered, and cared for, yields a bountiful harvest. Often communities tend to overthink it by being grandiose. Meanwhile, the best initial ideas come from the low-hanging fruit. In Wilson, Kansas it was their Czech heritage, while in Wamego, it was adopting a<em> Wizard</em> <em>of Oz</em> theme for the town.</li></ul><ul><li>For when you do need to be on a highway, every other toll road in the United States needs to take lessons from the <a href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kansas Turnpike</a>. It is by far the best run and maintained highway in the country.</li></ul> Source: northeastnews.net <ul><li>Kansas, like other states in the Heartland is often dissed as boring by those from elsewhere. Every state (and every place) has a story to tell and lessons to teach. It’s just a matter of taking the time to learn the insights.</li></ul><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/agriculture/" target="_blank">#agriculture</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/cities/" target="_blank">#cities</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/communications/" target="_blank">#communications</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/culture/" target="_blank">#culture</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/environment/" target="_blank">#environment</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/fun/" target="_blank">#fun</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/geography/" target="_blank">#geography</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/great-plains/" target="_blank">#GreatPlains</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/heartland/" target="_blank">#heartland</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/history/" target="_blank">#history</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/kansas/" target="_blank">#Kansas</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/lessons/" target="_blank">#lessons</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/mid-america/" target="_blank">#MidAmerica</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/planning/" target="_blank">#planning</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/prairie/" target="_blank">#prairie</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/small-towns/" target="_blank">#smallTowns</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/tourism/" target="_blank">#tourism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/transportation/" target="_blank">#transportation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://panethos.wordpress.com/tag/travel/" target="_blank">#travel</a></p>