Our principles are intentionally conceived and articulated to be consistent with the City of Northfield’s Comprehensive Plan and other guiding documents.

1. Foster continuity including historic, rural, educational, cultural, agricultural and commercial elements that have supported and continue to support the Northfield community.

2. Support a sense of place, including urban elements that enhance community building, our historic river town and college town identity, a self-standing town in a rural landscape, and a community rich in arts and cultural opportunities.

3. Enhance connectivity, interdependence and sustainable linkages with improved gateways to Northfield, strong relationships between the colleges and the community, continuous trails and systems for bicyclists and pedestrians, interconnected streets and routes within and through the city, and public spaces for people to connect with one another.

4. Encourage engagement in the broadest sense, including welcoming new people and ideas into Northfield’s enduring identity, looking for new solutions to persistent challenges, nurturing existing partnerships while seeking new partners to grow the community, and fostering growth that is reliable and sustainable into the future.

5. Foster the greening of Northfield, using landscaping as an integrative tool to support continuity, community identity and connectivity, and to link the urban setting to its natural and rural surroundings.