Circe Sher and Paolo Patrone of Healdsburg's Piazza Hospitality. (Kim Carroll)
Ever since the American Institute of Architects (AIA) came to Healdsburg, the town has turned increasingly self-reflective, attentive to its brand in a way that goes beyond just tourism.
It’s now not just a wine destination but a design destination, where city planners, architects, sustainability evangelists and lifestyle gurus gather to contemplate how to build through the next decades while maintaining Healdsburg’s unique attractions.
Need some evidence? A second series of Design Dialogues begins Sept. 20, panels that attract local as well as national planning professionals to town.
It goes back to 1982, when the AIA conducted an influential city visioning project as Rural/Urban Design Assessment Team, or RU/DAT. That exercise presented the city with three paths forward: as a bedroom community, a high-tech Silicon Valley spinoff or a tourist industry destination. Their advice was, and the city pursued, the third path.