“We try to be really flexible and create opportunities by removing barriers,” she said.
Brooklyn Center, meanwhile, is on the precipice of a massive new development project. An 80-acre swath near the center of the city will soon be seeded with housing as the first phase of what Community Development Director Jesse Anderson describes as a “gathering place.”
City Manager Reggie Edwards said the remake should represent the city’s diversity and provide easy access to local trails. That vision — emphasizing Brooklyn Center’s current strengths rather than manufacturing them — echoes the approach that Short, the CivicBrand co-founder, takes to branding suburban downtowns.
Cities, he advises, shouldn’t overemphasize their singularity, but rather spotlight the existing values that make them special. Richfield seems on board with that approach, with Economic Development Manager Jan Youngquist pointing to the city’s international restaurants and nature preserve as aspects to highlight in its rebrand.
“As we’re trying to set ourselves apart from neighboring communities or other suburbs,” she said, “It’s like, let’s lift up the assets that we do have.”