KTKA

Kansas State students are putting their heads together to plan for Manhattan's future.

With the surge from Fort Riley and the number of people expected to move to the Little Apple when the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility is built here, Manhattan's

population is expected to grow by 24,000 over the next 20 years.

The question is, where do they go?

Which is what these landscape architecture and regional and community planning students are trying to figure out.

"How to develop a community to fit that: transportation issues, open space and green networks, stormwater management." says Elise Hubbard, a 5th year l.a. student.

It's part of Design Week.

Their classes have been canceled and these students are spending the week with Design Workshop, a company that travels to certain universities to give the students a hands-on learning experience.

"K-State is one of the best l.a. programs in the country," says Kurt Culbertson, Design Workshop chairman.

The 140 students are divided into 15 groups with students in all grade levels. Those groups will each get a certain region of Manhattan to plan for.

"I'm a hands-on learner. I think a lot of l.a. students are," says Jesse Benedick, 5th year l.a. student.

It's also a lesson in teamwork and leadership.

"We're learning about designating work. How to get stuff done and not just stand around and look at each other," says Benedick.

The students will spend the week creating plans for the community, then they'll present their ideas to the mayor and K-State president.

Design Workshop has held a Design Week and every year for the past nine years at different universities.