K-State Salina's Civic Luncheon Lecture to highlight community improvement, future of city planning
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015
SALINA — The strategy behind how cities across the U.S. will develop in the next 20 years and the role citizens will play in those changes is the latest topic to be discussed at Kansas State University Salina's Civic Luncheon Lecture.
"Cities of Tomorrow" will be presented at noon Thursday, Oct. 8, at K-State Salina's College Center conference room. Stephen Hardy, chief product officer for Mindmixer in Kansas City, Missouri, will lead the presentation on community improvement and progression as well as governance planning. Mindmixer is a company that connects more than 1 million people to more than 700 organizations working to enhance communities across the continent.
"As technology and the economy change, it's important for communities to look ahead at how their geography, transportation and commerce may be affected," said Greg Stephens, associate professor of arts, sciences and business at K-State Salina and creator of the lecture series. "We're excited to be able to bring in Stephen to give his perspective on community development and we hope to inspire those who attend to go back into their towns and help make a difference."
Stephens also said this lecture series is specifically relevant to the Salina community because of the current revitalization plans of the downtown district.
Hardy has extensive experience in creating new concepts for towns and cities in relation to viability and success in the current marketplace. His notable projects include community design in Montreal and Kansas City and at Oberlin College as well as the redesign of Greensburg, Kansas, after the 2007 tornado. Hardy also has worked for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and is an alumnus of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
The Civic Luncheon Lecture Series is free and the public is invited. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunches or purchase their lunches at the K-State Café and then bring their trays into the conference room.
Stephens established K-State Salina's Civic Luncheon Lecture Series to provide the campus and the community with an opportunity to learn about and participate in various current events affecting local issues. For more information on the series, contact Stephens at 785-819-6887 or gregs@k-state.edu, or visit salina.k-state.edu/civicluncheon/.
