Vision Maps Are Powerful and Long-Lasting Tools

In February, 2014, I was fortunate to be invited to collaborate with 150 Boulder County residents at the Boulder Walk Bike Summit.  I spent the day listening to the group’s ideas about how Boulder could become an even more pedestrian and cycling friendly city than it currently is. I listened, sketched, chatted, and literally drew out the group’s vision of what the city could look like in 10 years. The demographic in the room ranged widely, including children, youth and parents. 

As the day unfolded with tons of great ideas, so did my illustration, and by the end of the day the vision was complete. 

Flash forward a year and a half and that Vision Map is still in active use. The team at Growing Up Boulder (GUB) took my illustration a step further and adapted it to specifically highlight the young people’s recommendations. GUB engages children and adolescents in local decision-making, enabling community leaders to embrace young people’s design and planning ideas. 

Adapted illustration of youth recommendations

​I’ve since learned that the Director of Transportation has repeatedly shared the Vision Map with others to represent the concerns of those who are so often absent from the public discussion. Without the use of this highly effective visual tool, it would be much harder for him to share this great vision.