Forget about "going green." Society is "going grey," and this transformation will change the landscape of our communities forever.

We're not just talking about increased demand for lutefisk dinners, new Buicks or mahjong tiles; we're talking about tough problems never before faced by all of us - related to health care, housing, the environment, the economy, immigration and the workforce - that will need to be re-shaped in order to keep pace with our aging population.

That's the "new normal" - and the sooner we begin addressing these critical issues through creative problem solving and courageous leadership, the sooner we can craft new solutions for the future. 

The Bush Foundation, in partnership with Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), has produced eight hour-long programs that will air on TPT during the next two years. The series - Redesigning Minnesota - will explore the challenges presented by the new normal and the potential to meet those challenges through a re-imagination of leadership priorities.

What's Redesigning? It's the act of preparing for the new normal with more than a few good ideas, with many community voices. It's an understanding that it will take full-scale, system-wide change - a "complete remodel" as opposed to a simple fix - to accomplish the work we need to do.

This video from David Gillette explains how we got here and what now needs to happen in a clever and engaging way.

Why do we need a redesign? Because we can't afford to wait for traditional decision-makers to find solutions to our biggest challenges. By 2030, approximately one in every five Minnesotans (or more than one million) will be over the age of 65 - that's a 100 percent increase from 2010. Positional leaders have known these challenges were coming decades ago, yet have failed to implement the changes necessary to address them.

The first step is getting involved in the discussion; so join the conversation at InCommons.org and watch new episodes of Redesigning Minnesota online (or on TPT) to get inspired.

It's up to you, the courageous community leaders, to embrace the new normal and lead the charge for re-designing our future.