Urban Collage took part in the recent Your Town Design/Planning workshop in Harrodsburg, KY.  The workshop divided groups of residents, stakeholders design/preservation students and design professionals into groups that followed five themes identified by the Community Action Partnership (CAP).  The themes identified by the CAP were: historic resources and green space, downtown revitalization, planning and zoning issues for ideas like for historic and scenic districts, design of gateway approaches to the city, and pedestrian access.  The workshop is intended to provide a framework that includes both long term goals for the city as well as small scale/low cost projects that are instantly implementable to create positive momentum to carry the plan forward.

We had a great time participating and send our thanks to St. Catherine College, The City of Harrodsburg and the University of Kentucky Landscape Architecture Program for asking us to participate!

When we talk about public participation and making the most of community input, the focus is often on attracting a large audience, creating informative presentations and designing engaging exercises.  Perhaps we’re forgetting some pretty basic notions, however.  As recent studies appear to suggest, sometimes the best decisions and most fruitful considerations are realized… on a full stomach.

Please click here to read the article “Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?”…

Urban Collage has a magic touch for creating memorable communities, but who knew our efforts would be Idol-worthy? Our town center planning effort in Snellville GA paralleled the rise of local girl Diana DeGarmo to second place on American Idol in Season 3; now Garner NC native Scotty McCreery is making a run at the Idol title, not long after the completion of an Urban Collage planning effort there; and top-ten finisher Paul MccDonald hails from Huntsville AL, site of Urban Collage’s Growth Plan work in nearby Madison. Coming soon, Urban Collage releases its own ‘Greatest Hits’!”

Collager Louis Johnson is at it again!  After raising over $4,000 with Team in Training, an affiliate of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by running the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon, Louis has now been chosen to become a Mentor Runner to help other fundraisers reach their endurance race and fundraising goals!  Louis will be running the Triple Crown of Running in Louisville, KY, the RunTheBluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, KY and finishing off his efforts by completing his mission race The Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon!  Congratulations to Louis, and good luck on the fundraising and in the races!

If you would like to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Louis in their efforts please e-mail Louis at LJohnson@urbancollage.com for information on how to do so!

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) are upon us here in Lexington. The WEG are visiting America for the first time in its history and promise to bring much attention and activity to the Bluegrass area. Aside from cultural events that are associated with the games many planning and design projects have been pushed to the front burner and are now being completed in order to prepare the city for the estimated 300,000 visitors over the 16 day period. It has been estimated that $107 million in state, local and federal dollars are being invested in improvements at the Kentucky Horse Park as well as on other infrastructural and design projects, and another $151 million on projects that have been in waiting, some for up to 20 years. The impact of the games has only just begun to be felt as Lexington starts another chapter in its history.