Situation
"The location of a geographic feature in relation to its surroundings, including other features; thus a feature’s relative location as distinguished from its absolute location (or site). (American Press Dictionary of Science and Technology)."
Dynamic examples of situation in the Brainerd Lakes Region include:
- Construction of the Red River Trail through Crow Wing. This trail put Crow Wing on a major route through the region, and made it an accessible destination for wagon trains traveling through the region, between Pembina and Saint Paul.
- Construction of the Northern Pacific and Brainerd Northern International Railroads to Brainerd. The construction of these railroads made new industries in Brainerd, such as lumber cutting and mining, viable. Without these transportation routes, Brainerd would have been less favorable/accessible to urban markets. Ultimately, the new "situation" of Brainerd relative to the North American urban system make its ascent and Crow Wing's demise.
- Construction of hard surface roads, bridges, and highways have diminished the time necessary to drive to the Brainerd area from other towns and cities. This has increased the number of functions in the Brainerd area which serve the immediate hinterland, but maybe more importantly, it has decreased the cost for city dwellers to make regular trips to a second home in the area. Regardless of road construction, however, Brainerd is relatively close to the Twin Cities (closer than say, Red Lake), and thus has a natural situational advantage for intercourse with this major metropolitan area.