Over 2022–2024, a diverse, multi-interest, community collaborative led innovative placemaking efforts in the City of Othello, Washington, with an ultimate goal to improve quality of life indicators in the community. This project, Elevate Othello, was made possible through a Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Development. It was led by Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) with support from USDA’s Washington State Office, the City of Othello, Adams County Development Corporation, Innovia Foundation, Avista Foundation, Umpqua Bank, and many community members and partner organizations.
RDI designed Elevate Othello to guide the community through a sequence of steps that build upon one another, including Community Visioning, Trainings & Peer Learning Opportunities, and Accessing Resources & Implementation. The sequence was intended to inspire transformational change, resulting in deep impacts throughout the community. Elevate Othello inspired greater community engagement, provided a shared vision for the future, and connected the community with funding and other resources to build this future.
