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public art & placemaking in gainesville, ga
THE POULTRY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD ainesville, GA is known as the Poultry Capital of the World, a fact that no longer resonates with the millennial generation and new residents. Formal bronze chicken sculptures and statues placed in different areas downtown gave the namesake a serious tone, however, there was much laughter and lighthearted chatter about the self-proclaimed title throughout the public input phase of the downtown master planning process. Apparently, it is only legal to eat fried chicken— “a culinary delicacy sacred to this municipality”—with your bare hands. Any other method is illegal, and this law is even enforced from time to time.
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KAITLIN MESSICH
CREATIVE DESIGN SPECIALIST CARL VINSON INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
DANNY BIVINS
SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATE CARL VINSON INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
LEIGH ELKINS
PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATE CARL VINSON INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
A DOWNTOWN WITH A
SENSE OF HUMOR 20
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gainesville DOWNTOWN
R E N A I S S A N C E S T R AT E G I C V I S I O N & P L A N
DOWNTOWN SHOULD BE AN EXPERIENCE OF ITS OWN. PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT A PLACE THEY CAN TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT─A PLACE WITH CHARACTER. THE FOLLOWING IDEAS PLAY WITH GAINESVILLE’S UNIQUE CHICKEN HISTORY.
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CHICKEN FEET HOPSCOTCH CROSSWALK:
Why walk if you can hop across? The rendering (shown left) shows how painted crosswalks can come to life and add to the character of downtown, particularly along the multiuse trail running through Downtown / Midtown.
CHICKEN jokes at crosswalks:
Another way of celebrating Gainesville’s unique title of “Poultry Capital of the World” is to place chicken jokes at the crosswalks. The question will be answered on the other side of the street, with the text shown in the same direction as the crosser. Jokes can be painted, printed on stickers, or stamped onto the concrete. Perhaps the City could invite people to write their best chicken jokes in chalk at street crossings for a more temporary solution.
201 N. Milledge Avenue | Athens, Georgia 30602-5482 Telephone 706-542-0741 | Fax: 706-542-2176 www.cviog.uga.edu
The whimsical, and downright humorous attitude that Gainesvillians share about chicken already exists in conversations and memorable stories we heard throughout the community. However, this character is lacking from the visible downtown. This poster shows public art ideas from the 2015 Downtown Gainesville Master Plan, including chicken-themed concepts that are fun, whimsical, and context-sensitive. The chicken theme is meant to be engaging for all ages, create a sense of pride, strengthen the downtown brand, and create an overall stronger sense of place that captures the true personality of this Georgia city.
you do you.
SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CITY OF GAINESVILLE, GA
2 0 1 5 D O W N T O W N G A I N E S V I L L E R E NA I S S A N C E S T R AT E G I C V I S I O N & P L A N
Gainesville, Georgia
JESSICA TULLAR
placemaking is all about celebrating what makes your city unique & creating a sense of place unlike anywhere else.
the 2015 downtown gainesville master plan
CHICKEN FEET HOPSCOTCH CROSSWALK
In 2015, the City of Gainesville, Georgia partnered with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government to create a new downtown plan. The plan included many ideas gathered from public input that would improve Downtown’s sense of place while celebrating its unique poultry heritage. Ideas included public art, downtown marketing and events, whimsical details, and more.
read the master plan to read the full 2015 Downtown Gainesville master Plan, go to: https://www.gainesville.org/ pdfs/2015-gainesville-downtownplan.pdf
chick T-SHIRTS
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T-shirts are a great way to advertise, play with the poultry theme, and could be sold downtown or at special events.
CHICKEN JOKES AT CROSSWALKS ON GREENWAY
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N I ’ N I C N A D T E E R T S E H T
In Gainesville, ga, it is only legal to eat fried chicken with your bare hands. Any other method is illegal.
DO THE funky chicken The image shows bronze dance steps to the “Rumba” inlayed into the sidewalk on Frazier Avenue in North Chattanooga, Tennessee along with other dances such as “The Hokey Pokey” and “The Waltz.” Gainesville could do something similar with “The Chicken Dance” or “The Funky Chicken.”
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ILLUSTRATION FROM SOCIETY 6
- UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, “5 WEIRD LAWS AND WHY THEY ARE STILL ON THE BOOKS.”