In order to highlight the development issues surrounding the Northfield Community I have sought to develop a web based resource that would be available to Northfield citizens, students, and college faculty.  I chose to specifically look into the implications of the construction of the connecting roads to the new Northfield hospital, the rapid growth of housing developments, and the reevaluation of area roads and highways.

   Northfield is a rapidly changing community.  In the brief time I’ve been a student at St. Olaf College I have seen the town grow, seen businesses come and go, and seen wildlands both lost and protected. There are contrasting views on development in Northfield. Citizens are working to maintain a sense of community while the town grows in all directions.  The shape that Northfield takes in coming years is the responsibility of the Northfield City Council and the Community Development Department, but it is first and foremost the responsibility of the citizens of Northfield.

   To encourage growth while at the same time planning a sustainable future for the community, a plan of ecologically conscious development must be implemented.  The environmental ethic already exist in the community, all that needs to be done is increase awareness of issues concerning the shaping of Northfield’s development.  This resource is an effort to increase the community awareness on several issues concerning development in Northfield.