City of Watertown Residential Marketing Campaign

Report completed by students enrolled in PA 5261: Housing Policy, taught by Dr. Edward Goetz in spring 2016.This project was completed as part of a year-long partnership between Carver County and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). Although Carver County as a whole is growing in population and economic potential, the city of Watertown lags behind neighboring municipalities. Fewer new residents are moving in, there is less new home construction, and the city’s social and economic growth are suffering as a result. The goal of this project was to develop a marketing campaign that highlights Watertown’s amenities and community characteristics to attract home buyers and business development. In collaboration with project lead Shane Fineran from the City of Watertown, a team of students in PA 5261: Housing Policy, identified factors important for both first-time home-buyers and baby boomers looking to downsize when they make home purchasing decisions, to inform future marketing campaigns and city promotional materials. The students' final report from the project is available.This project was supported by the Resilient Communities Project (RCP), a program at the University of Minnesota whose mission is to connect communities in Minnesota with U of MN faculty and students to advance local sustainability and resilience through collaborative, course-based projects. RCP is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). More information at http://www.rcp.umn.edu