2. Put the HEART Back in Your Community Unifying diverse interests around a central theme Tim Merriman & Lisa Brochu

3. Convergent Evolution in Community Planning Civic Tourism Scenic Byways Experience Economy Sustainable Communities

4. CivicTourism.org - Reframing Tourism Rethink Economics Connecting to the Public Invest in the Story

5. Scenic Byways Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (1991) Corridor Management Plans 2005 –8 All-American Roads –125 Scenic Byways in 44 states –175 Million Dollars in grants

6. Pine & Gilmore’s Experience Economy Theory Agriculture economy Manufacturing economy Service economy Experience economy –Theme the experience –Harmonize impressions –Eliminate negative cues –Mix in memorabilia –Engage all five senses

7. Sustainability Definitions Brundtland Report - Our Common Future (1987) “Development which meets the needs of the present without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

8. Sustainable Seattle (1991) Triple bottom line planning Collaborative planning Indicators of sustainability

9. Sustainability Indicators

11. Definition of Interpretation A mission-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.

12. The care of rivers is not a question of rivers but of the human heart. Tanaka Shozo Curiosity Understanding Care about Care for Stewardship Awareness Dragged Along Social Marketing - The Interpretive Continuum

13. Definition of Interpretive Planning A thoughtful decision making process that blends management needs and resource considerations with visitor desires and ability to pay to determine the most effective way to communicate a message to targeted markets in support of the agency’s mission. Lisa Brochu

14. 5-M Interpretive Planning Model ManagementMessage MarketsMechanics Media

15. Management mission, goals, objectives (logic models) policies & regulations key issues revision and update strategies operational resources –staffing –budget –facilities & equipment –maintenance

16. Markets product - what you have to offer price - perceived value place - relationship to what’s around promotion - how do people know about you publics - market segmentation –users & support –existing & potential

17. Message Why is this site significant? What interests visitors? What is management most interested in communicating? Resource Management Markets

18. Mechanics Large Scale Design Balance –Site or landscape features –Facilities and buildings –Interpretive stories

19. Mechanics Smaller scale –Functional relationships –Accessibility –Space programming –Placement –Physical opportunities & constraints –Maslow’s Hierarchy

20. Media Publications Signs Exhibits Souvenirs Food items Visitor centers Auto tours Guided tours Products for children Demonstrations Living history Audio tours Landscape features Art & sculpture Playscapes Promotional materials

21. Interpretive Planning Fills in the Blanks Community-Wide Involvement Visitor Experience Design based on Logic Models Interpretive Guide and Host Training

22. Sphere of Influence Interpretive planning works for: –Individual sites or programs –Community wide thematic approaches –Regional or Corridor approaches

23. Holistic Emotional Appropriate Rewarding Thematic Put the HEART Back in Your Community

24. Civic Engagement Strategies Public input meetings Public hearings Focus groups Community Coalitions

25. Holistic (mechanics) (TM) Holistic Community experience plans (CEP) Considers community mechanics Respects local traditions

26. Visitor Experience Model Entry Exit Connections Decision Commitment

27. Emotional through media -Process worksheets (what is the thing you have at home and what ’ s the story behind it) Making connections Advertising approaches Keepsakes

28. Authenticity Audience-oriented Appropriate

29. Rewarding (management) (LB) -rewards for stakeholders, community at large, visitors -logic model objectives (measuring reward for community and visitors) LB -process worksheets Rewarding Determine rewards - stakeholders - community - residents - visitors Logic Models - outputs (what we do) - outcomes (behavior changes or what happens as a result) - impacts (benefits to the community or community resources)

30. Research-based –Ausubel (1960) –Thorndyke (1979) –Miller (1954) –Cowan (2000) Thematic

31. Traits of a Theme Complete Sentence - idea or message Answers “So what?” Connects tangibles to intangibles (universals) Specific and interesting

32. Getting Started Whose project is it? What results are desired? –Benefits (impacts) to the community or resources? –Visitor behavior (outcomes) that will support benefits? How do we achieve those results? –What media (outputs) to use?

33. For More Information Put the HEART back in your Community (heartfeltpublications.com) Interpretive Planning: The 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects (www.interpnet.com) National Association for Interpretation (www.interpnet.com)www.interpnet.com Tim Merriman and Lisa Brochu (naiexec@aol.com, naiprograms@aol.com)naiexec@aol.comnaiprograms@aol.com