Yes, there is a real town called "Farmland." Rigorous local efforts to preserve buildings and local businesses have created a charming rural ambiance since achieving National Register of Historic Places status in 1994. In Farmland, the 'corner store' and the 'soda fountain' aren't figments of imagination or memory. The atmosphere is almost surreal in that one can feel as if they have wandered into a movie set.

A charrette is short, intensive, democratic, community based planning and design workshop. Part of the Community Based Projects program at Ball State University. www.bsu.edu/cbp