Design Prompts (Cultural)

  •  Design ways for the agrihood to reflect local history, culture, and landscape.
    • Problem: Generic design can feel disconnected and bland.
    • Opportunity: Use local materials, plants, art, or stories to create a unique identity.
    • Prompt: What’s one design feature that could help this agrihood feel rooted in its local story?

  •  Create beauty that inspires residents and visitors.
    • Problem: Functional landscapes can be plain or sterile.
    • Opportunity: Integrate artful forms, colors, and seasonal interest.
    • Prompt: What’s one element that would make the agrihood feel beautiful and uplifting year-round?

  •  Honor the cultural traditions and histories connected to this land.
    • Problem: Development can erase local cultural memory.
    • Opportunity: Include interpretive signage, memorials, or traditional design practices.
    • Prompt: What’s one way the agrihood can showcase or celebrate local cultural heritage?

  • Offer meaningful places to play, move, and unwind.
    • Problem: Generic parks may not invite diverse activities or all age groups.
    • Opportunity: Use natural features for play, multi-use trails, outdoor fitness, obstacle courses, playgrounds and gathering.
    • Prompt: What’s one recreational idea that connects people to nature?

  • Support quiet reflection, wonder, and spiritual well-being.
    • Problem: Busy development can leave no room for solitude or sacred experience.
    • Opportunity: Design quiet spaces, meditation gardens, or natural sanctuaries.
    • Prompt: What’s one space or feature that could foster peace and reflection in the agrihood?

  • Bring people together for shared experiences.
    • Problem: Modern developments can isolate neighbors.
    • Opportunity: Create outdoor rooms, patios, performance areas, shade spots, fire circles, or outdoor kitchens.
    • Prompt: What’s one outdoor gathering place idea for community events or celebrations?

  • Connect people with knowledge of nature, farming, and sustainability.
    • Problem: Many residents have little direct contact with ecological systems.
    • Opportunity: Include demonstration gardens, outdoor classrooms, or interpretive trails.
    • Prompt: What’s one way the agrihood could help people learn about nature and farming?


  • Celebrate nature and community through creative works and installations.

    • Problem: Many places lack opportunities for art that reflects local landscapes and culture.

    • Opportunity: Include nature-inspired murals, community art projects, outdoor sculptures, or performances that deepen connection to the environment.

    • Prompt: What’s one idea for using art to connect people with nature and community?


  • Connect residents through growing, sharing, and celebrating food.
    • Problem: People can feel disconnected from what they eat.
    • Opportunity: Include community gardens, farm-to-table events, or edible landscaping.
    • Prompt: What’s one feature that supports a vibrant local food culture?

  • Encourage residents to care for land, each other, and shared spaces.
    • Problem: Shared spaces can suffer if no one feels responsible for them.
    • Opportunity: Create stewardship groups, volunteer days, or visible signs of shared care.
    • Prompt: What’s one design idea that makes people proud to care for this place?

  • Create places where residents can share stories and memories.
    • Problem: New communities often lack intergenerational exchange.
    • Opportunity: Include storytelling circles, history walls, or digital archives.
    • Prompt: What’s one space that could encourage storytelling and sharing memories?

  • Strengthen bonds across generations through shared spaces and activities.
    • Problem: Many communities isolate older adults and miss chances for intergenerational connection.
    • Opportunity: Design gathering places, gardens, or programs where people of all ages share skills, stories, and time outdoors together.
    • Prompt: What’s one idea for connecting generations and supporting aging in place here?

  • Mark the seasons with community rituals and events.
    • Problem: Disconnection from nature’s rhythms can dull community life.
    • Opportunity: Design spaces for seasonal festivals and local traditions such as seed swaps, observance of the fireflies return, etc.
    • Prompt: What’s one feature that could host seasonal gatherings and traditions?

  • Welcome diverse cultural traditions and new ideas.
    • Problem: Communities can feel homogenous or exclusive.
    • Opportunity: Provide gathering areas, markets, or performances for cultural sharing.
    • Prompt: What’s one space that could celebrate cultural diversity?


  • Grow plants that honor cultural or ancestral traditions.
    • Problem: Local knowledge of traditional plants can be lost.
    • Opportunity: Plant heritage gardens or community plots with culturally important crops.
    • Prompt: What’s one way to integrate heritage crops or plants?

  • Nurture spaces where childhood magic and freedom thrive.
    • Problem: Many places feel unwelcoming or overly structured for kids.
    • Opportunity: Design natural play zones, secret paths, or creative play features.
    • Prompt: What’s one idea that could spark childhood wonder here?

  • Build a sense of place before the first residents move in.
    • Problem: New neighborhoods can feel empty or anonymous at first.
    • Opportunity: Use temporary art, early plantings, and community events during build-out.
    • Prompt: What’s one early action that could give the agrihood identity from day one?

  • Create outdoor spaces that feel like a shared ‘living room’ in nature.
    • Problem: Communities often lack casual gathering spots beyond homes or businesses.
    • Opportunity: Design flexible outdoor areas where people naturally linger and connect.
    • Prompt: What’s one idea for a “natural third place” in this agrihood?

  • Extend the agrihood’s stewardship values beyond its borders.
    • Problem: Sustainability practices can feel limited to the development itself.
    • Opportunity: Host workshops, tours, or partnerships that share ideas regionally.
    • Prompt: What’s one way the agrihood could inspire broader community stewardship?

  • Offer opportunities for visitors to connect meaningfully with the place.
    • Problem: Some communities feel closed to outsiders.
    • Opportunity: Provide guest programs, farm stays, tours, or community events.
    • Prompt: What’s one idea for welcoming and engaging visitors here?

  • Promote physical health through nature-based fitness.
    • Problem: Many developments lack spaces that encourage active lifestyles outdoors.
    • Opportunity: Include trails, workout stations, yoga decks, or nature gyms.
    • Prompt: What’s one design idea for outdoor physical fitness and wellness?

  • Test ideas and add seasonal interest with flexible features.
    • Problem: Permanent features can’t always adapt to changing needs.
    • Opportunity: Use pop-up markets, movable seating, or seasonal installations.
    • Prompt: What’s one idea for a temporary or pop-up feature to activate shared spaces?

  • Balance organic community life with thoughtful design.
    • Problem: Over-planned places can feel rigid, but unstructured ones can lack cohesion.
    • Opportunity: Design spaces that invite spontaneous use while supporting shared values.
    • Prompt: What’s one way to support a healthy mix of organic and intentional community culture?

  • Support local exchange that connects people to nature and each other.

    • Problem: Many places miss chances to celebrate and trade local goods tied to the natural environment.

    • Opportunity: Include markets, fairs, craft exchanges, or skill-sharing events that highlight local resources and creativity.

    • Prompt: What’s one idea for local commerce that connects people with nature and community?