Urban Design Services | Urban Collage

Suwanee Town Center Plan

by Stanford Harvey on August 5th, 2009 | No Comments »

project: SUWANEE TOWN CENTER PLAN
date: 2003
location: SUWANEE, GA
client: CITY OF SUWANEE
contact: MARVIN ALLEN, PLANNING DIRECTOR

Suwanee, Georgia, is a rapidly growing small town in metropolitan Atlanta. In April 2001 the city began a planning process to “Imagine Old Town Suwanee”. The plan focused on renewing the economic vitality and preserving the character of the historic core and surroundings under the purview of a newly-created Downtown Development Authority. Urban Collage crafted a public participation process including three workshops and development simulations to shape the community’s vision. This vision included creating a new, 60-acre, mixed-use Town Center in close proximity to the old downtown, focused on a new public park. The park, town center and historic core are linked by a network of streets, sidewalks and trails that provide a framework for compact housing and commercial space. Urban Collage worked with city staff and a design review board to draft a set of Development Standards to shape the character of the Old Town District and its two nodes, and continued on as development planners for the Town Center itself (in partnership with Clark Patterson and Associates).

Implementation Highlights:

Old Town Suwanee Development Standards adopted by City Council in summer of 2002
21 acres purchased by the city for the new town center, including a 10-acre $3-4 million public park and amphitheater funded by greenspace bonds and Park opened in Summer of 2004
Over 80,000 square feet of mixed-use retail, office and residential
County branch library constructed in 2004
An additional 40 acres of residential development adjacent to Town Center;
Project received funding for $1.1 million dollars in pedestrian improvements by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
This project received a 2004 GPA Award for Outstanding Plan Implementation and Georgia Trend’s/GMA’s 2005 “Trendsetter” award

BCTC Newtown Pike Campus Plan

by Stanford Harvey on August 5th, 2009 | Comments Off

project: BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE NEWTOWN PIKE CAMPUS PLAN
date: 2008 – 2009
location: LEXINGTON, KY
client: BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
contact: AUGUSTA JULIAN

Urban Collage was retained as part of a team led by EOP Architects and Perkins + Will to develop a plan for a new 65-acre campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The plan creates a blueprint for the growth and development of BCTC and environs and builds on continued momentum in Lexington’s north side.

The campus is proposed on the former site of the Eastern State Hospital (ESH), the nation’s second oldest running mental institution. ESH’s corner stone was laid in 1816. Many of the existing buildings are original and considered historic structures. The historic nature of the site as well as its context within Downtown Lexington and the surrounding historic neighborhoods had to be taken into account when planning and designing the campus. The site is also surrounded to the south and east by industrial uses that were taken into consideration as long term development opportunities in this growing and evolving community.

The BCTC campus was seen as an opportunity to complete the “higher education triangle”, giving a main entry way to Lexington a new vibrant feel while also creating a usable, comfortable, and exciting higher education campus.

North Fulton CID Planning Services

by Stanford Harvey on August 5th, 2009 | No Comments »

project: NORTH FULTON CID PLANNING SERVICES
date: 2007 – ONGOING
location: ALPHARETTA, GAT
client: NORTH FULTON COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
contact: ANN HANLON, VP OF TRANSPIRATION, COO

In 2007, Urban Collage, Inc. was retained by the North Fulton Community Improvement District (CID) to develop an integrated land use and transportation master plan for the GA 400 commercial corridor in North Fulton County. The Conceptual Plan for Blueprint North Fulton outlines strategies for three nodes: North Point Activity Center, Old Milton Parkway and Windward Parkway.

The planning process included two public workshops, a consumer research survey, and significant discussion with the district’s three municipalities: Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell.

The Blueprint’s final plan showed a prioritization of transportation and community improvement projects and land use policies that will help create a more balanced, sustainable North Fulton and provide direction for CID initiatives and expenditures over the next seven years. In October 2008, the final plan was unveiled.

Urban Collage was subsequently retained to continue to help the CID to coordinate design and planning for key implementation planning projects.

Blueprint Midtown

by Stanford Harvey on August 5th, 2009 | No Comments »

project: BLUEPRINT MIDTOWN
date: 1998 – ONGOING
location: ATLANTA, GA
client: THE MIDTOWN ALLIANCE
contact: SHANNON POWELL, VICE PRESIDENT

In 1997, the Midtown Alliance embarked upon Blueprint Midtown, a comprehensive and proactive planning/visioning exercise for Midtown, a critical and diverse section of downtown Atlanta. Now that the vision for a diverse, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly urban district has been established, Urban Collage is assisting the Midtown Alliance in implementing the vision.

To help guide ongoing and rapidly accelerating development in the area, Urban Collage assisted in preparing the Blueprint Midtown Design Standards. The illustrated standards seek to create an attractive and functional public environment, protect historic resources and establish architectural guidelines for site planning, building design, signage and parking. The Design Guidelines formed the basis for creation of the Midtown Special Public Interest District (SPI), a new zoning ordinance for Midtown adopted by the City of Atlanta in December of 2001.

A concurrent and related work effort in Midtown is directed at enhancing the public environment through new open spaces, plazas, and streetscapes. Urban Collage continues to assist the Midtown Alliance as the program planner for the Cityscapes Program.

Implementation Highlights:

Over 10.7 million square feet of office space;
9,100 new residential units;
855,000 square feet of new retail space;
1,700 hotel rooms;
Addition of over 1.5 million square feet of cultural institutions
Over 1.7 billion in private investment underway;
Construction underway for part of the $40 million in expected funds over the next five years for streetscape enhancements and open space initiatives;
Adoption of SPI -16 And SPI- 17, largest rezoning in Atlanta history.

Georgia Perimeter College Campus Development Plan

by Stanford Harvey on August 5th, 2009 | No Comments »

project: GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT PLAN
date: 2004
location: CLARKSTON, GA
client: GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE
contact: DR. DENNIS R. HARKINS

Urban Collage was retained by Robert Charles Lesser & Co., LLC (RCLCo) and Georgia Perimeter College to provide guidance and insight into Georgia Perimeter College-Clarkston Campus’ long-term growth strategy. The process included an interactive vision session with college leaders and stakeholders to discuss and define potential opportunities on the Clarkston Campus and the development of several campus plan alternatives to accommodate future growth.

Initiatives were devised to facilitate growth of the college in terms of increasing enrollment, increasing the college’s role and function in the larger community and establishing and advancing the college’s presence along Memorial Drive and in DeKalb County. Specific campus opportunities included on-campus student housing, student recreation areas, a Student Wellness Center, a Center for International Language and Culture, and a Campus/Community Arts Center.

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