The Northeast may have snow, but January and February have been a flurry of activity as Urban Collage prepared for and conducted three “eco-charrettes” across the Southeast.  A key element in several HUD competitive grants awarded last year as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, these green workshops are part of a larger initiative to substantially improve the energy and environmental efficiency of the nation’s public housing stock.  Urban Collage worked with the housing authorities of Little Rock (AR), Wilson (NC) and Chesapeake (VA) and their design and development teams to assemble a broad spectrum of technical professionals, community and resident stakeholders, and local sustainability advocates to engage in roundtable dialogues on site and water ecology, energy efficiency, and green materials.  The results of each eco-charrette are synthesized into a Green Development Plan that provides a sustainability template for the project as it moves forward.

For a sample of the Wilson workshop, click HERE.

The Columbia (SC) Housing Authority was recently awarded the 2009 Affordable Housing Developer of the Year from the U.S. Green Building Council for their work at Rosewood Hills.  Urban Collage assisted CHA in preparing the community-based master development plan, HOPE VI application and design guidelines for this environmentally-conscious development near the University of South Carolina.

More information can be found here

After an intensive effort led by Urban Collage over the past year, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved rezoning of 68 acres at the Red Mile harness racetrack on January 14, 2010.  The rezoning to Mixed Use Entertainment was the result of a community-based process instigated by the property owners and the LFUCG Division of Planning that included the creation of a refined mixed use zoning classification for the city.

The Little Rock Housing Authority and the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock were recently awarded $15M in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds to address inner-city housing foreclosures and other blighting factors related to the economic crisis.  As part of the grant application team, Urban Collage surveyed and analyzed existing housing in eleven census tracts containing over 800 housing units.  The work included identification of priority areas and recommendations on institutional partnerships and public investments to support the stabilization, particularly in the neighborhoods surrounding Little Rock’s civil rights landmarks like Central High School and the Daisy Bates House.

Urban Collage contributed to winning over $4 million in grants for the housing authorities of Little Rock (AR) and Rome (GA) under the Capital Fund Recovery Competition program. Urban Collage also collaborated with the Little Rock Housing Authority, the City of Little Rock, and other affordable housing professionals to complete a comprehensive revitalization program for several inner-city neighborhoods under the ARRA Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Other successes for Urban Collage clients include a total of $25.8 million for the Housing Authorities of Columbia (SC), Wilson (NC), Fayetteville (NC) Metro, and Savannah (GA).