About

What We Build Is Who We Are.

Emerging Terrain’s goal is to inspire re-imagination of the places and spaces of our cities, facilitate community development, and creatively inform civic and urban planning.

Through site-specific interventions and innovative design projects focused on reclaiming vacant and underutilized lots, structures, streets, and systems, we use collaborative tools – exhibits, installations, feasts – to inspire people to see the landscape in new ways.

Humans are constantly shaping and reshaping the landscape around us, but we’re really good at looking past those changes. We tend to stop noticing anything that’s been on the skyline too long – to forget the ground beneath our feet. At Emerging Terrain, every project starts with the questions – what story have we written? And what more do we want to say?

How We Began.

Emerging Terrain began in 2007 by Founder and Chief Creative Officer Anne Trumble, who since growing up on a farm at the edge of Omaha, knew she would return to explore the intersection of community development and the urban landscape. Having spent time practicing landscape architecture in Vancouver, Tokyo, Havana, and New York City, Anne was repeatedly inspired by design-focused organizations in each of these places positively impacting the inseparable connection between community and physical place.

Stored Potential: Re-purposing the Mid-Century Grain Elevator, 13 artist-designed 20’x80’ banners about Land Use, Food, and Agriculture installed on the side of a towering concrete grain elevator, was to us more than mere beautification or public art. It was the beginning of a conversation about the landscape of our city, and the means by which we create its future. An 800’ long dinner table was constructed at the base of the newly bannered elevator along a derelict rail track to host a community feast for 500 people. One part visible (banners), another part experiential (dinner), the combination of these temporary installations created several scales of transformation:

Outmoded Structure as new possibility; Industrial Site as inspiration; Event as community and economic catalyst; Art/Artist as advocate beyond the walls of a gallery; and Site-Specific Concept as collaboration among artists, chefs, farmers, city agencies, landowners, neighborhood associations, philanthropy, chefs, and farmers.

And indication that there was more work for Emerging Terrain to do…….