2015 Design in the Hills highlighted Collaboration starting with a public-private partnership in Sturgis between Harley-Davidson and the City of Sturgis on Harley-Davidson Rally Point Plaza. Landscape architect Eirik Heikes gave the group a tour of the site and spoke about the partnership to conceive and construct the newest public space in Sturgis.
Design in the Hills 2014 Restorations kicked off fittingly in Deadwood with walking tours of Mt. Moriah Cemetery (the burial place of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock and other well-known historic characters), the Mickelson Trailhead, and the planned future Powerhouse Park.
The 2013 theme was Design in the “Explorations” and we adventured into the vibrant public art scene of Downtown Rapid City. Originally, we had tours of Ellsworth AFB scheduled, but Federal furloughs forced last-minute changes. Fortunately, there is an abundance of creative built environment to discover in Rapid City.
2012 was the year to study “Transformations” in Rapid City. 2011 saw the beginnings of Main Street Square under construction. In 2012 we did a follow-up tour of the completed plaza and the adjacent building renovations into The Shops at Main Street Square. The former parking lot and empty buildings were now transformed into a energetic beating heart of the community.
Design in the Hills 2011 was our first year, featuring tours and presentations of local Built Environment design projects. Rapid City was undergoing a revitalization of the downtown area, and we toured the construction site of the new Main Street Square, which would become the heart of Downtown.