2013-2017
The Georgia
DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE PA R T N E R S H I P
2017 2 0 1 7
Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
Lyndhurst foundation-supported projects 2017: RINGGOLD | LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN | ROSSVILLE | DISTRICT HILL CEMETERY 2016 UPDATE: APPALACHIAN REGIONAL INLAND PORT | CHICKAMAUGA | CHATSWORTH
Ringgold, ca. 1940s Photo Credit: Georgia Department of Archives and History
The Georgia downtown
Renaissance Partnership Lyndhurst Foundation-Supported Projects 2017 participants: G E O R G I A D O W N T O W N R E N A I S S A N C E PA R T N E R S Lyndhurst Foundation Thrive 2055 Georgia Cities Foundation Georgia Municipal Association Carl Vinson Institute of Government UGA College of Environment and Design GOVERNMENTS City of Chatsworth City of Chickamauga City of Lookout Mountain City of Ringgold City of Rossville Murray County ORGANIZ ATIONS Rossville ReDev Workshop (formerly the Rossville Thriving Communities Initiative) Murray County Thriving Community Group UGA State Botanical Garden of Georgia Georgia Ports Authority U G A F A C U LT Y A N D S T A F F Danny Bivins, Principal Planner Kaitlin McShea Messich, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer Langford Holbrook, Planner Dan Shinkle, Landscape and Urban Designer (new staff member since summer 2017) Doug Pardue, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Scott Pippin, Local Government Attorney and Planner Ted Baggett, Associate Director, Carl Vinson Institute of Government Karen DeVivo, Editor 2 0 1 7 U G A G R A D UAT E A S S I S TA NT S & F E L LO W S Dan Shinkle, Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) 2017 Arianne Wolfe, Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Candidate, 2018 Robert Hines, Master of Public Administration (MPA) Candidate, 2018 Carter Ricks, Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Candidate, 2018 Weiye Wang, Ph.D. Candidate, Environmental Planning and Design, 2020
2017 By the
Numbers Total Students Involved
66+
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14 Appalachian regional inland port students 5 uga graduate district hill cemetery, 9 chickamauga community members involved via committees and working groups
1,261
Community Member Participants in Community Survey
The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership I N
BRI E F
WH AT IS OUR PURPOSE? Founded in 2013, the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership works to foster vibrant downtowns throughout Georgia through community engagement and implementation of citizen-defined planning visions for partner communities. The partnership recognizes that downtowns serve as the heart and soul of community life in cities across the state and provide the engines that drive local economies. Our mission is providing cities with the customized technical and design assistance necessary to help ensure economically vibrant, community-focused downtowns.
T H E G E O R G I A D O W N T O W N R E N A I S S A N C E PA R T N E R S H I P 2 0 1 7 PA R T N E R S : •
The Lyndhurst Foundation
•
Thrive 2055
•
The University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government
•
The University of Georgia College of Environment and Design
•
The Georgia Municipal Association
•
The Georgia Cities Foundation
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WHAT HAS PARTNERING WITH THE LYNDHURST FOUNDATION ENABLED? Since partnering with the Lyndhurst Foundation in 2015, foundation support has enabled the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership to expand our commitment to improve and revitalize communities throughout the Northwest Georgia counties included in the Metropolitan Chattanooga region. Over the course of this renewed partnership, the Lyndhurst Foundation has empowered communities and improved the region through engaging in planning and design projects in Chickamauga, Chatsworth, Rossville, Ringgold, Lookout Mountain, the District Hill Cemetery master plan, and unincorporated Murray County. In addition to undertaking new master planning efforts and conducting a 12week fellowship with the city of Lookout Mountain, over the course of this year, students, faculty, and staff at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government built on the successes of previous Lyndhurst-supported projects by continuing relationships with the partner communities of Rossville, Chickamauga, Chatsworth, and Murray County. The four components of the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership supported by the Lyndhurst Foundation are: 1. The Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan (RSVP) Master Planning Process 2. The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellowship 3. The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Landscape Architecture Studio 4. Targeted Technical Assistance for Local Communities
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2017
Lyndhurst & thrive 2055
Supported projects
1 Ringgold
THE RE N AI SSANCE STRATEG IC V IS IO N A ND P L AN ( RS V P) M ASTER PL AN NING PROCES S
2 Lookout Mountain 3 District Hill Cemetery, Chickamauga 4 John Ross Commons Masterplan, Rossville Strategic Planning, and Research THE GEORG I A DOW NTOW N RE N A IS S A NCE F E L LO W S HIP
THE GEORG I A DOW NTOW N RE N A IS S A NCE L A ND S CA PE A RC HITE CTURE STU D I O
TARGETED T ECH NICAL DESIGN A S S IS TA NCE
2016 UPDATE: THE GEO RG I A DOW NTOW N REN A IS S A NCE L A ND S CA PE A RC HITE CTURE STUD I O
Appalachian Regional Inland Port, Murray County
CHICKAM AUG A REN AI SSANCE STR ATE GIC V IS IO N A ND P L AN ( RS V P) P RO C E S S
Lean Urbanism: Pollinator Garden
CH ATSWO RTH DOW NTOW N REN A IS S A NCE F E L LO W S HIP
Lean Urbanism: Black Bear Festival Posters Implementation City Park Stage and New Sidewalks
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RSVP RENAISSANCE STRATEGIC VISIONING & PLANNING City of Ringgold
Project Brief
During an extensive public engagement process, faculty, students, and staff from the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government heard from over 1,260 local citizens, roughly a third of the city’s overall population, via a community-wide survey, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and a community meeting at Patriot Hall. Institute research assistant Robert Hines compiled the extensive results of the community survey of local residents and overall public input data. The many community voices heard during the public engagement process formed the foundation for the Ringgold Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan, a collective vision for the future of the city. During the public input process, four critical issues emerged that must be addressed by city and community leaders to ensure the future success of Ringgold. These issues, which included managing growth to preserve the city’s small-town feel, creating a local destination, addressing traffic and infrastructure, and advancing outdoor recreation in the city, formed and guided the master planning process.
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P
TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
April – November 2017
City of Ringgold Dan Wright, City Manager Rhonda Johnson & Jamie Klementisz, Ringgold Main Street Managers Ringgold RSVP Steering Committee
Nick Millwood, Mayor
PUBLIC INPUT OVER 1,260 COMMUNITY SURVEYS (29% OF RINGGOLD’S TOTAL POPULATION) 40+ LOCALS PARTICIPATED IN ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS
Terry Crawford, Mayor Pro-Tem Lee Tubbs, Chairman of Ringgold Planning Commission Dr. Ronal Graham, Chairman of Convention and Visitors Bureau Randall Franks, Chairman of Downtown Development Authority Ross Andrews, Local Architect, Ross Andrews Architects, Inc. Dan Wright, City Manager
REPRESENTATIVES OF 13 COMMUNITY GROUPS INCLUDED IN INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS 24+ IN ATTENDANCE AT THE COMMUNITY MEETING
Rhonda Johnson & Jamie Klementisz, Main Street Managers Carl Vinson Institute of Government Danny Bivins, Principal Planner Kaitlin McShea Messich, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer Langford Holbrook, Planner Dan Shinkle, Landscape and Urban Designer
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT Robert Hines, Graduate Assistant, MPA Candidate, 2018 Arianne Wolfe, Graduate Assistant, MLA Candidate, 2018 Weiye Wang, Graduate Assistant, Environmental Design and Planning Ph.D. Candidate, 2020
LYNDHURST FUNDING AND DESCRIPTION The development of a Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning (RSVP) document for a selected partner city within the five Georgia counties included in the tristate Metropolitan Chattanooga region (Total annual cost: $55,000; $5,000 community contribution).
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RSVP
City of Ringgold
PUBLIC INPUT Above: Members of the Ringgold Steering Committee conduct a visual assessment of current conditions downtown. Left: Local citizens discuss what needs improvement downtown during a community town hall meeting.
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Ringgold MASTER PLAN This plan addresses four top issues: managing growth to preserve the city’s small-town character, continuing to build a local destination downtown with thriving shops and restaurants, addressing traffic and infrastructure, and building an outdoor recreation destination by further connecting the city to the surrounding environment. R E N D E R I N G B Y T. C L A R K S T A N C I L
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Georgia
Downtown
Renaissance
Fellow Spotlight 10
Dan Shinkle
2017 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow HOMETOWN: Cleveland, Ohio BACKGROUND: University of Georgia, MLA, 2017 Cleveland Institute of Art, BFA, 2012 “Lookout Mountain was an exciting town to work in. Their incredible location and hospitality were second to none. Local leaders were highly motivated to create a town center that reflects the unique character of the city’s scenic location, which made our work as designers so much more exciting. This particular project also posed an interesting challenge in fitting a new city hall, fire station, police station, and public green together with a café and small grocer. We pieced together the puzzle in a way to accommodate all the necessary requirements of each, while still making an excellent public space for the community to gather.”
– DAN SHINKLE, 2017 GEORGIA DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE FELLOW
Left (Above): Dan Shinkle, 2017 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow enjoys the mountain view with Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership Director Danny Bivins and Senior Designer Kaitlin McShea Messich. Left (Below): Landscape and Urban Designer and 2015 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow T. Clark Stancil poses with a cannon at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center.
Arianne wolfe
2017 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow HOMETOWN: Charleston, South Carolina BACKGROUND: University of Georgia, MLA Candidate, 2018 Tulane University, BA, 2011
“I began working on the Lookout Mountain project after Dan had laid most of the groundwork for the city, so I helped to support Kaitlin, Dan, and Clark with producing final renderings. It was a great introduction to working in the studio at the Institute of Government. I was able to take many of the things I’d learned from my experience with Lookout Mountain and apply them to my own summer project, working with the community of Holly Springs, Georgia. Working with local communities on design solutions that can help them create a better place for their citizens is something I’ve enjoyed about working here and hope to continue to do in my future as a landscape architect.” –ARIANNE WOLFE, 2017 GEORGIA DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE FELLOW
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gdrf Georgia downtown Renaissance fellowship City of Lookout Mountain
Project Brief With support from the Lyndhurst Foundation, Institute of Government’s Senior Designer Kaitlin Messich and Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellows Dan Shinkle and Arianne Wolfe provided Lookout Mountain with a plan to establish an active village center envisioned as the seat of local government and the home of new business activity in the center of the community. The plan envisions developing a town center around a new city government and public safety complex, with additional downtown buildings serving as commercial space and a flexible town green to accommodate community events. Visitors would be drawn to the site through new activities organized by a citizen-led steering committee and improved arrival signage inspired by local attractions like Rock City. In addition to the work of the Downtown Renaissance Fellows, senior faculty at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government conducted a work session with the Lookout Mountain steering committee. Institute of Government and College of Environment and Design faculty advised the city on strategies to activate the town center area with programmatic activities and adjust and update the city’s internal development review processes.
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f
Results Institute faculty and staff formally presented the Lookout Mountain plan to city leaders on May 24, 2017. In June, municipal leaders created a committee to coordinate special events such as an Independence Day parade to encourage visitation in the town center area. Following a work session with Institute faculty, a second new committee has been formed to streamline the city’s administrative processes and procedures. Municipal leaders are also contacting a planner to help implement suggested streetscape, pedestrian, and signage enhancements. Finally, the city hired an architect to make the conceptual designs a reality.
TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
February – June 2017
City of Lookout Mountain David S. Bennett, Mayor Arch Willingham, Councilman Community Partners
“Over the last nine years, the City of Lookout Mountain has been working towards building a new town center in the heart of our community. The timing of working with Danny Bivins and his team could not have been more perfect… The City has been so fortunate to work with the team through a grant provided by the Lyndhurst Foundation. The process that we have gone through with Danny has created the spark we have needed for quite some time and we are excited about moving forward…Again, thank you for allowing us to participate in this program and I hope to continue this relationship in the near future.” – Mayor David Bennett, City of Lookout Mountain
Cindy Whitaker Angie Sutherland Jimmy Campbell Carl Vinson Institute of Government Danny Bivins, Principal Planner Kaitlin McShea Messich, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT Dan Shinkle, Downtown Renaissance Fellow, MLA, 2017 Arianne Wolfe, Downtown Renaissance Fellow, MLA Candidate, 2018
LYNDHURST FUNDING AND DESCRIPTION Completion of a 12-week Downtown Renaissance Fellowship resulting in a targeted plan for a selected community in the Thrive 2055 region (Total annual cost: $20,000).
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gdrf
City of Lookout Mountain
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New city center concept Drawing inspiration from the traditional, historic commercial architecture of Southern mountain towns, this design concept seeks to capture the character of Lookout Mountain’s people and sense of place. A new town center offers a unique opportunity for creating gathering and retail spaces and a home to Lookout Mountain’s Police Department, Fire Department, and City Hall. The new town center serves as the community’s “front porch,” offering plenty of outdoor seating, a children’s play area, lush landscaping, and a versatile green space. RENDERING BY KAITLIN MCSHEA MESSICH
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Studi Georgia downtown Partnership landscape Architecture studio
District Hill Cemetery, Chickamauga
Project Brief
COMMUNITY PARTNERS City of Chickamauga
The College of Environment and Design’s Graduate Landscape
Architecture Studio, led by Associate Professor Douglas Pardue,
Michael Haney, City Manager
currently has nine students who are developing a master plan for
Joyce Harrison, Community Member
the historic District Hill African-American Cemetery.
Carl Vinson Institute of Government
TIMELINE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
Danny Bivins, Principal Planner
Fall Semester, August – December 2017
Li Fu
Arianne Wolfe
Ming Guan
Landon Woodward
Chen Qu
Yuwen Yang
Devyn Quick
Ran Zhang
UGA’s College of Environment and Design Doug Pardue, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture
LYNDHURST FUNDING AND DESCRIPTION Completion of a 16-week Landscape Architecture Studio
Carter Ricks
(Total annual cost: $15,000).
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io
Cemetery site concept The rendered birdseye view of the cemetery site is shown at the left. Pink dots illustrate where the unmarked graves are, and where the markers would rest (rendering by Yuwen Yang).
Limestone concept Showing possible limestone seating and interpretive signage along the approach path (rendering by Ming Guan).
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Studi Georgia downtown Partnership landscape Architecture studio
District Hill Cemetery, Chickamauga
Cemetery site concept This rendering shows one possibility for the approach path (by Ming Guan).
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io 19
Tech Targeted technical & Design assistance City of Rossville
Project Brief
Working with city leaders, members of the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership conducted a total of three strategic planning sessions with Rossville’s mayor and council and the Rossville ReDev Workshop (previously referred to as the Rossville Thrive Community Group). Institute of Government faculty Danny Bivins and Langford Holbrook worked with the city to develop a oneyear strategic work plan to address six key needs: creating a landscaping plan to activate the grounds of the historic John Ross House at the center of the community, updating the city’s codes and ordinances, organizing a Community Clean-Up Day event, coordinating with the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Commission, developing a 100-Year Floodplain Management Evaluation, and providing an analysis of current economic conditions in the city. Working with the Rossville ReDev Workshop, Carl Vinson Institute Landscape Designer T. Clark Stancil developed a conceptual masterplan to guide improvements on the grounds of the city’s historic John Ross House site. Rechristened John Ross Commons, the plan includes provisions for improved community accessibility, new venues for local arts and recreation, and plantings that pay homage to the Cherokee and honor the role of the Ross House as the hub of the local community. The resulting 28-page promotional booklet designed by Senior Designer Kaitlin Messich, Historic John Ross Commons Community Park, produced through support of the Lyndhurst Foundation, provides a guiding vision for park improvements and adjacent downtown development. In addition to the master plan for the John Ross Commons, Institute faculty member Scott Pippin, M.E.P.D., J.D., assisted the city by providing legal research to address code updates. Carl Vinson Institute of Government graduate assistant Robert Hines also worked with the city to provide both 100-year floodplain management research and an analysis of current market conditions in the city.
Results At a February 12th community meeting led by the Rossville ReDev Workshop, over a hundred local citizens developed priorities and shared ideas to ensure a brighter future for Rossville. Embracing local visions for the John Ross House site directly informed the resulting Historic John Ross Commons Community Park masterplan aimed at restoring this community showpiece. Organized by the Rossville Redev Workshop and the John Ross Garden Club in April 2017, community members turned out in force on Earth Day to refresh plantings and spread mulch around the John Ross House site. On August 4th, the city of Rossville held a groundbreaking to formally begin implementing the plan with a $15,000 donation of support from Tennessee American Water.
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TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
February – December 2017
City of Rossville
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT Robert Hines, Graduate Assistant, MPA Candidate, 2018
LYNDHURST FUNDING AND DESCRIPTION
Teddy Harris, Mayor
Assisted the City of Rossville’s Mayor and Council and the Rossville
Rick Buff, Mayor Pro Tem
ReDev Workshop with technical assistance. (Total annual cost: $10,000).
Joyce Wall, Council Member Michael Hicks, Council Member Brad Buff, Council Member Sherry Foster, Manager of Rossville Mayor’s Office
Mayor Teddy Harris and members of the Rossville ReDev Workshop.
Rossville ReDev Workshop (formerly the Rossville Thriving Communities Initiative) Elizabeth Wells Sally Morrow Margaret Smith Susan Wells Carl Vinson Institute of Government Danny Bivins, Principal Planner Langford Holbrook, Planner Kaitlin McShea Messich, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer Scott Pippin, Local Government Attorney and Planner Ted Baggett, Associate Director
EARTH DAY ROSSVILLE: (Below) Organized by the Rossville ReDev Workshop and the John Ross Garden Club in April 2017, community members turned out in force on Earth Day to refresh plantings and spread mulch around the John Ross House site.
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Tech
City of Rossville
ROSSVILLE PUBLIC INPUT At a February 12th, 2017 meeting of the Rossville ReDev Workshop, over 100 local citizens worked to develop priorities and share ideas to ensure a brighter future for Rossville. Embracing local visions for the John Ross House site is critical to restore this community showpiece.
Historic
MONS M O C s s o R John ITY PARK comMUN mmun 20 1 7 co
lan n and p i ty v is io
FINAL REPORT A printed final report was given to the City of Rossville showing all of the design work for the historic John Ross Commons Community Park vision. RENDERINGS AND VISION BY T. C L A R K S T A N C I L REPORT L AYOUT BY KAITLIN MCSHEA MESSICH
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BEFORE
PROPOSED
John Ross house entry PROPOSED concept Planting trees, removing asphalt, replacing fencing, and refreshing the landscape restores the John Ross House as a community focal point. R E N D E R I N G B Y T. C L A R K S T A N C I L
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Studio Georgia downtown Partnership LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE studio
Appalachian Regional Inland Port Project Brief
The Fall 2016 Landscape Architecture Studio, led by Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Douglas Pardue, spent the semester applying technical, environmental, and design expertise to plan for the impact of the Appalachian Regional Inland Port (ARP) while developing solutions to protect the site’s scenic surroundings and Murray County’s cherished natural resources. In the spring semester of 2017, six students continued working on the ARP final product. The final booklet, Ripples through the Mountain: Leveraging the Appalachian Regional Port, is a full-color 134-page document intended to inform sustainable development both on the site and throughout Murray County. On August 17th, students Dan Shinkle, Jacob Schindler, Rishika Chaudhury, and Chencheng He, along with Associate Professor Doug Pardue and Senior Public Service Associate Danny Bivins presented the studio’s findings and design solutions at the Georgia Ports Authority to Ryan MacDonald, manager of strategic operations and planning, John Trent, senior director of strategic operations and safety, Christopher B. Novack, director of engineering and facilities maintenance, Leo Beckmann, manager of governmental affairs, and Wesley Barrell, terminal manager.
TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
August 2016 – August 2017
Brittany Pittman, Sole Commissioner, Murray County Bridgett Massengill, Executive Director, Thrive 2055 UGA’s College of Environment and Design Doug Pardue, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Carl Vinson Institute of Government Danny Bivins, Senior Public Service Associate
FINAL REPORT The printed final booklet was submitted to the American
PORT HIA N REG ION AL ING THE APPA LAC N TA I N : LEVE RAG UGH THE MOU R I P P L E S T H RO
Community Partners
Society of Landscape Architects national student awards, and distributed to the Georgia Ports Authority.
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O U N TA I N : OUGH THE M R I P P L E S T H R P PA L A C H I A N R E G I O N A L P O RT HE A L E V E R AG I N G T
o GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY presentation: College of Environment and Design graduate students Rishika Chaudhury, Chencheng He, Jacob Schindler, and Dan Shinkle present proposals for the Appalachian Regional Port to Georgia Ports Authority representatives including Ryan MacDonald, manager of strategic operations and planning, John Trent, senior director of strategic operations and safety, Christopher B. Novack, director of engineering and facilities maintenance, Leo Beckmann, manager of governmental affairs, and Wesley Barrell, terminal manager.
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT 2016
2017
Roger Bledsoe
Melanie Bowerman
Melanie Bowerman
Rishika Chaudhury
Rishika Chaudhury
Chencheng He
Chencheng He
Lauren Holmer
Lauren Holmer
Jacob Schindler
Siyu Hou
Dan Shinkle
LYNDHURST FUNDING AND DESCRIPTION
Completion of a 16-week Landscape Architecture Studio resulting in design solutions to advance the Appalachian Regional Port’s positive effects and lessen its potential negative impacts.
Dustin Jones Jacob Schindler Xiaoying Shi Dan Shinkle Chloe Weigle Tianyu Wu
SAVANNAH PORT TOUR
Shuang Xi Chang Yang
While in Savannah, students were
Fuyu Yang
given the opportunity to tour the Port.
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STUDIO
Appalachian Regional Inland Port
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
With its close proximity to the Petty Fairy Valley Park and tangency to Sumac Creek, the port site offered a unique opportunity to provide citizens a connection to the port and the benefits it can bring the community. Allowing visitors to enjoy the port’s remediated wetland, for example, creates visual access across the land but does not threaten the security of port operations. This space shows that the port is not only an economic asset to the community, but also a force to protect and celebrate the unique ecology and culture of Murray County and the Cohutta Wilderness.
Work samples Selected work sample from Ripples through the Mountain: Leveraging the Appalachian Regional Port, final product of the 2016 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership Landscape Architecture Studio.
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Beyond public engagement, students made recommendations for improving the overall water quality of the Conasauga watershed. In the area originally slated to be the site’s stormwater retention pond, the team developed a more robust system for addressing runoff while also filtering incoming water from the adjacent Sumac Creek.
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Urbani
Project Brief
Lean urbanism City of Chickamauga, Pollinator Garden
Chickamauga’s 2016 Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan outlined the need for increasing trees, shade, and streetscaping in the heart of downtown. In the spring of 2017, faculty and staff at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government met with the incoming director of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders. Director Cruse-Sanders discussed the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s outreach program called Connect to Protect and the potential to collaborate in communities served by the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership. This program was created to provide public displays of native plants with educational materials to foster an understanding of the role that native plants play in maintaining biodiversity in urban and suburban landscapes of Georgia. Following this meeting, Institute faculty collaborated to bring the program to Chickamauga. The City of Chickamauga is partnering with UGA’s State Botanical Garden of Georgia to build, plant, and maintain a pollinator garden at a key intersection in downtown Chickamauga. Installing a pollinator garden will not only provide habit for native species it will also improve the aesthetics of downtown Chickamauga. The pollinator garden represents an excellent example of tactical urbanism that addresses an identified need from the Chickamauga RSVP with minimal investment.
Results Connect to Protect Director Heather Alley met with city stakeholders in August to kick off the process of bringing a pollinator garden to the city. City manager Michael Haney has been instrumental in securing the permission of the downtown property owner where the pollinator garden will be built. Councilman Evitte Parrish and community advocate Betts Berry are also key members of the team. Construction is set to begin in April 2018.
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ism TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
August 2017 – April 2018
City of Chickamauga
Michael Haney, City Manager
Evitte Parrish, Council Member
Betts Berry, Community Member & “Doer”
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Heather Alley, Connect to Protect Director
Carl Vinson Institute of Government
T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer
BEFORE
Before: (Above) Located at a prominent corner downtown, this paved area does little to improve the downtown experience. The lack of shade and landscaping deter both pedestrians and beneficial native species.
PROPOSED This unique intersection provides an excellent opportunity to “green” a treeless section of town and create an educational opportunity for Chickamauga youth. This “after” rendering shows the corner buzzing with activity after the installation of a new pollinator garden with a variety of flowering native plants. R E N D E R I N G B Y T. C L A R K S T A N C I L
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Urbani Lean urbanism City of Chatsworth
Project Brief Chatsworth’s Renaissance Fellowship in the summer of 2016 identified three key issues that must be addressed downtown, enhancing connectivity, planning a stage and restrooms in the downtown city park, and improving the appearance of downtown storefronts. Following recommended strategies to address connectivity, the city has already installed multiple sidewalks as a result of the work of the 2016 fellowship and committed $70,000 to fulfill the vision outlined in the report. Furthermore, the city received a $20,000 donation from the Lyndhurst Foundation to complete the City Park stage project. The City is working with the Murray County Thriving Communities Program and held a groundbreaking on March 24, 2017. The newly completed stage will serve as the centerpiece of the park and host the community’s largest outdoor event, the annual Black Bear Festival.
Results In order to market the Black Bear Festival and improve downtown façades, Senior Designer Kaitlin Messich created large-format posters in July to be hung in the windows of a prominent corner building.
TIMELINE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
July – December 2017
City of Chatsworth Tyson Haynes, Mayor Thriving Communities Initiative Lori McDaniel, Murray County Thriving Communities Committee Member Steve Anglea, Murray County Thriving Communities Committee Member Thrive 2055 Lori McDaniel, Murray County Thriving Communities Committee Member Carl Vinson Institute of Government Dan Shinkle, Landscape and Urban Designer Kaitlin McShea Messich, Senior Designer
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ism
Black bear festival poster INSTALLATION Large window-sized posters feature the 11th annual Black Bear Festival prominently at the busiest intersection in Chatsworth. Almost immediately, reactions came in: “I was driving home last night and spotted this decal in the window across from the Chamber! I absolutely love, love, LOVE this!! Great job to all!!”
BEFORE
-Lori McDaniel, Thriving Communities Committee Member
CITY OF CHATSWORTH’S
11thth annual
black bear festival October 21st-22nd
10am to 6pm
CHATSWORTH CITY PARK
POSTER DESIGN BY KAITLIN MCSHEA MESSICH
AFTER 31
implem Implementation City of Chatsworth
Results Dedicated on August 26, 2017, the David Bonds designed stage is the newest addition to Chatsworth’s city park. The stage also features public restrooms, necessary amenity for the park’s programming and events. The new 2nd Avenue sidewalks connect downtown Chatsworth to the city park, creating a safe and direct pedestrian connection.
Funding partners
PROPOSED
The City of Chatsworth Georgia Ports Authority Lyndhurst Foundation McDaniel Family Foundation Community Donors NAR & Carpet Capital Association of Realtors
David bonds stage (Above, right) Rendering of David Bonds stage at Chatsworth City Park by Dan Shinkle during his 2016 Downtown Renaissance Fellowship. (Right) The completed David Bonds Stage in Chatsworth’s City Park officially opened on August 26th, 2017.
AFTER 32
mentation “As a graduate student, working alongside the Mayor, the County Commissioner, and other county and community representatives was an incredible opportunity. We worked through real design problems in an under-served but highly motivated community. Our efforts created momentum for the advancement of Chatsworth’s historic downtown and saw real change with new sidewalks connecting to the city park and a grant awarded for a new city park stage. It was wonderful to have our designs so well received, but even more exciting to hear how quickly they would implement our work. Being able to share in real impacts for a community is easily the most meaningful part of the experience.”
BEFORE
–Dan Shinkle, 2017 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow
AFTER Dan Shinkle admires fresh sidewalks installed as a result of the 2016 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellowship in Chatsworth.
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