Marine native to present Capstone Visioning project

The purpose of the Capstone project is to allow seniors to work with communities or organizations in need of design and planning for a specific area. This could be open space planning, urban design, etc. 

Raedeke decided to pursue a degree in landscape architecture, “because It is a really interesting mix of natural sciences and design, so it combines two of my biggest interests,” she said. 

For the project, she has been working with her professors for oversight and a  committee made up members from the planning commission and city council including Tim Casey, Ed Sanderson and Scott Siesak. 

“They have been really helpful in getting the project off the ground. Everyone was willing to help,” said Raedeke. 

 “I am looking at new playground structure that is more nature based, moving away from the prefabricated structures that are on-site now. The idea leans on the school’s mission of ecology and outdoor based learning. I’m looking at what type of green infrastructure can be incorporated and ways to restore natural habitats and plants. I’m also looking at ways to manage risks like stormwater drainage, all of which can be used in the curriculum.”

Before she decided on the elementary school property, Raedeke and city leaders, “were throwing around a few options but I thought the elementary school would be interesting,” she explained. 

“I attended school there…I know they worked really hard to get the charter school going and there is a lot of open space to utilize.”

The project has two stages. 

“The first stage was gathering base data, inventory and analysis. The project is based on three scales regional, community and site. I looked at things like general land use, different schools in the area, parks and recreation, native plants, topography, soil and what is suitable for the property.

“The second stage is the visioning part of the project. This part is about presenting my project to the client [in this case the city of Marine] and getting feedback from community. Public engagement is really important for the education side of project,” she said. 

“Essentially, this is all hypothetical. My plan cannot used to build but the city of Marine is welcome to take my ideas to planning firm or landscape architecture.”

Overall, Raedeke says the project, “is going good so far." "I’ve spent a lot of time gathering data through the state of Minnesota and the Department of Natural Resources. I’m excited to get started on the actual design and get away from using maps,” she said. 

Raedeke will present her final work in April.