EAST END AREA PLAN KICKOFF A HUGE SUCCESS! - June 2008

A kickoff gathering for the master planning process of one of Lexington Kentucky's oldest African-American neighborhoods was held recently with great seccess.  Nearly 150 residents gathered to voice opinions on everything from schools and safety to shopping opportunities and affordable housing.  Urban Collage, working with EHI Consultants in Lexington, will be responsible for the development planning for catalytic projects for both public space and private development.

URBAN COLLAGE FEATURED ON LOFTLIFE MAGAZINE'S WEBSITE - May,18 2008
Recently Urban Collage Associate Dennis Madsen participated in an interview about urban design in Atlanta for LoftLife Magazine's Webpage. The dialogue outlines how Urban Collage fits into the Atlanta design niche as well as the firm's work on projects including the BeltLine. To read the full article, please click here.

STAFF PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCED!! - May 2008

Urban Collage is proud to recognize two staff members for their continued hard work and dedication with promotions.

Matt Cherry has been promoted to the Associate position for his leadership on several major projects including the Midtown Streetscape Project. In his new position Mr. Cherry will take on more of a Project Management role on with the duties of coordinating sub-contractors, client interaction, and serving as the lead within design studios.

Kadu Badami has been promoted of to the position of Senior Planner. In her new position Kadu will continue to serve in her production and design roles, but will now have the opportunity to take on a stronger leadership role as a Project Manager.

NEW HIRES!! - April 2008

Urban Collage is proud to announce the addition of Stephen Busch as a Senior Planner. Stephen joins the team as a registred Landscape Architect with a breadth of experience in park planning, public space design, and master planning.

We are also pleased to announce Louis Johnson will be joining the firm in the Lexington office as a Planner. Louis is a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture degree and has been working with Urban Collage through the spring as an intern.

URBAN COLLAGE PROFILED IN ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION - May 1, 2008

Urban Collage co-founders, Bob Begle and Stan Harvey, were recently profiled in the Business section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an article which explored the firm's philosophy and impact throughout the Metro-Atlanta region. Highlighted in the article were several of the firms strengths and successes, such as the Suwanee Town Center development, various public housing redevelopments, and public workshops which have been integral in public education and buy-in to the overall concepts of Urban Design.  Click here to read the full article.

DOWNTOWN DAHLONEGA, GA LOOKS TO GREEN FUTURE IN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN - April 2, 2008

Urban Collage recently presented a downtown redevelopment plan for the city of Dahlonega, GA in a public meeting in which the plan was well received by the residents and business owners of the area. Dahlonega offers a unique challenge in that the historic downtown is juxtaposed between North Georgia College and State University, large residential areas, and the undeveloped North Georgia Mountains. Key features of the plan include restoration efforts of the community arts center, creating an extension of the downtown with the addition of a second town square, and functional responses to transportation and parking issues in the form of a parking structure.  Click here to read the full article.

FAYETTVILLE, NC RECEIVES $20 MILL. HOPE VI GRANT - March 20, 2008

The Housing Authority of Fayetteville was awarded the grant to revitalize 249 public housing units built in the 1940s and 1950s. The new plan, which was developed in a large part by Urban Collage, proposes to rebuild the existing public housing units as well as additional affordable rental and for-purchase units, as well as a community center, a seniors' center, and day care. The Fayetteville project was one of five chosen to receive the grant by HUD's HOPE VI program committee.   Click here to read the article.

PLAZA AT 15TH STREET AND PEACHTREE STREET BREAKS GROUND - February 28 2008

In addition to the Peachtree Streetscape, construction for an exciting new public open space has broken ground at the intersection of 15th and Peachtree Streets.  This new “piazza” will include installation of a ring of approximately thirty large shade trees, which are 8” in caliper (diameter at the base of the trunk).  In addition to the new trees and landscaping, lighting, granite curbing and enhanced sidewalk areas will surround the existing water fountain which will be repaired and renovated as the piazza’s centerpiece.  Urban Collage had an integral part over the last 3 years in negotiating easements with the property owners and helping design this space.  Click here to see the press release for the “unveiling ceremony.”

URBAN COLLAGE PRINCIPAL KEYNOTES CIVIC ROUNDTABLE - January 2008

Urban Collage Principal, Bob Begle, was featured as the keynote speaker at the Sandy Springs Civic Round Table (SSCRT).  The SSCRT is comprised of numerous Sandy Springs civic organizations and is designed to promote dialogue amongst disparate community activist groups.  Bob’s presentation focused on the opportunity and challenges of creating a new Downtown in the heart of Sandy Springs.

PRINCIPAL HAS BABY BOY ! - January 2008

Urban Collage Principal, Stan Harvey and his wife Betty, welcomed their second son, Nathaniel Hughes, into the world on January 18, 2008!

GWINNETT COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM RESIDENTS

January 28, 2008

Two Community Improvement Districts in Gwinnett County are gearing up for presentations to area residents by combining their efforts. The Gwinnett Place and Gwinnett Village CIDs have similar visions and issues, including the desire for more greenspace a greater walkability as well as heavy traffic. Their 20 year vision supports greater density and increasing the mix of uses within the area. Click here to read the article.

January 29, 2008

Gwinnett residents came out in force to support planned improvemts in the CIDs as well as to ask questions about how the increase in development will impact their area; from traffic flow in overcrowding at area schools. The amount of residents in attendance was support enough to continue to seek developer interest to build dense, mixed-use developments in the area. Click here to read the article.

NORTH LAKE MALL IN CHARLOTTE, NC CONTINUES TO DEVELOP CITY CENTER - January 25, 2008

After concentrating on dense commercial development in the Northlake Mall area the Charlotte Planning Department has begun to shift gears to add some balance to the fast-growing area with dense multifamily residential developments. Several developers have puchased land in the are with plans to construct not only residences, but also sidewalks and connecting streets that will help bring cohesiveness and interconnectivity to the heavily commercial area. Urban COllage was instrumental in the development of the area plan in 2004. Click here to read the article.

NORTH FULTON CID BEGINS TO BLUEPRINT GATEWAY TO NORTH GEORGIA - December 17, 2007

The North Fulton Community Improvement District has begun to consolidate their planning efforts and work towards effective implementation of several improvement projects. Urban Collage was selected to lead a team of consultants who will organize a master plan for the district and prioritize improvement projects. Click here to read the article.

December 20, 2007

The CID hopes the final Master plan will help provide a clear outlook on how to develop Georgia Highway 400 into a distinct gateway that is able to accommodate future growth. Click here to read the article.

LEXINGTON CONTINUES TO STREGTHEN PUBLIC-PRIVATE REDEVELOPMENT - December 2007

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Governemt, in conjunction with a federal grant, is moving forward in a historic endeavor to revitalize Davistown, one of the city's most impoverished neighborhoods. The multi-phase project to be completed over the next 6-7 years, includes the recontouring of the current topography, approximately 100 new residential units and major infrastructure and roadway improvements. Click here to read the article.

DAHLONEGA DEVELOPS DOWNTOWN WITH RESIDENTS AND CITY OFFICIALS - December 2007

Working with the Dahlonega downtown redevelopment authority and the Dahlonega city council, Urban Collage facilitated another successful planning session with area residents. Workshop participants collaborated on ideas to increase downtown livability, to expand the downtown character, and to continue to develop the retail market in the area. Click here to read the article.

URBAN COLLAGE ASSISTS WITH SUWANEE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNIG - December 2007

Throughout this fall, Urban Collage has facilitated several community planning sessions with the residents of Suwanee, Georgia in order to compile their vision for the Suwanee 2030 Comprehensive plan. The resident feedback meeting wrapped up in December with a presentation of the compiled results of the previous workshops. Check out the links below for some recent press coverage.

Planning for the future of Suwanee - October 5, 2007

Contributions from the Community - October 25, 2007

Presentation of Community Results  - December 6, 2007

SUWANEE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW CITY HALL - November 2007

The city of Suwanee has broken ground on a new city hall building in their town center. The ceremony on November 13th not only marked the official start of construction, but also marks a major milestone in the ongoing implementation of the Town Center Master Plan (completed by Urban Collage in 2003). The groundbreaking also represents the culmination of the city department programming exercise, which was conducted by Urban Collage in 2005, in order to facilitate schematic architectural design for the building.

DOWNTOWN GRIFFIN PLANS FOR GROWTH - November 2007

City Officials in Griffin, Georgia recently funded a Downtown Development and Marketing study to help provide a tangible vision for the growth of the city center. Both the development and feasibility plans focused on residential initiatives that would bring more people into the city center, which would create a market for and entice retailers to establish more shops in the area. Click here to read the article.

PERIMETER BRIDGE OVER I-285 OPENS - November 2007

The Perimeter Community Improvement District along with the Georgia Department of Transportation celebrated the opening of the third major bridge over I-285 in the Perimeter area with the help of Gov. Sonny Purdue and Transportation Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl. Urban Collage played a pivotal role in the development of this project. Click here to read the article.

BELTLINE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS CONTINUES - November 2007

The BeltLine Partnership received an $8 million donation from the Woodruff Foundation to be used in the construction of a 13-16 acre park on North Avenue on the eastern Beltline. Urban Collage was integral in the conception and production of key graphics that helped to secure this grant. Click here to read the article.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE VOLUNTEERS WITH HANDS-ON - November 2007

Urban Collage Senior Associate, John Skach, recently volunteered with HANDS-ON New Orleans in their efforts to rebuild and revitalize areas of the city devastated by floods caused by Hurricane Katrina.

FAYETTEVILLE, NC CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS HOPE VI FUNDING - October 2007

The City Council of Fayetteville, NC has recently agreed to provide over $13 million dollars in support of a Federal HOPE VI application, prepared by Urban Collage in participation with TCGI International, that will fund redevelopment of the blighted Old Wilmington Road district.   Click here to read the article.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE HAS BABY GIRL! - October 2007

Urban Collage Senior Associate Eric Bosman and wife Carla welcomed their daughter, Claire Emilee, into the world on October 10, 2007!

FOUNTAIN INN MOVES TO IMPROVE DOWNTOWN - October 2007

The city of Fountain Inn has recently acquired approximately 0.64 acre of land in their downtown with plans to expand the city's civic and retail infrastructure. The new endeavor will move the Chamber of Commerce and Natural Gas Department into larger facilities as well as provide the city with the necessary space to open a History Museum and permanent Farmers' Market within the downtown.  Click here to view the article.

EAST LAKE MAKES HEADLINES - October 2007

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published an article on the in-process revitalization of Atlanta's East Lake community.  This follows several months of work done by Urban Collage for the Cousins Family Foundation towards the area, which included facilitating community workshops and generating conceptual development plans for two major vacant sites.  Click here to view the article.

GA TECH STUDIO TAUGHT BY SENIOR ASSOCIATE WINS AWARD - Sept 2007

Senior Associate John Skach recently acted as a Georgia Tech faculty affiliate to co-teach an urban design / redevelopment studio with Dr. Nancey Leigh in the fall of 2006.  Titled “City ReAssembly”, the studio focused on redevelopment strategies for the General Motors Doraville and Ford Hapeville auto plants, the subject of downsizing for both auto manufacturers.  Two student teams investigated both economic development and urban design possibilities for the regionally-important sites and their communities.  The work of the studio, and the Doraville team in particular, was honored with a 2007 Georgia Planning Association award for Best Student Project.

BARBARA ASHER SQUARE CAUSES RIPPLE EFFECT IN DOWNTOWN - Sept 2007

Matt Cherry, Senior Planner at Urban Collage, recently did some pro-bono work with the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association, creating design concepts to revitalize Barbara Asher Square (aka Broad Street Plaza) in Downtown Atlanta.  Following Matt's presentation to the Five Points Task Force a couple of weeks ago, the concepts created quite a buzz in the Atlanta Journal and The New York Times.  Since then, the City of Atlanta has begun to implement several of the renovations to the plaza.  More to come soon, so stay tuned...

LIVABLE CENTERS INITIATIVE (LCI) PRESS RELEASE - September 2007

Construction of 33 percent of the region's office space, 4 percent of its housing units and more than 10 percent of its commercial space has occurred within the Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Livable Centers Inititative (LCI) project areas, demonstrating a region-wide demand for high-quality, walkable centers that give residents and workers the choice of living within walking distance of shops, restaurants and jobs.

Since 2000, Urban Collage has created 22 LCI plans. 

ANDERSON DISTRICT 4 SCHOOL - GRAND OPENING - September 2007

The Mt. Lebanon Elementary School opened to students this fall and was dedicated this past Sunday, September 23.  The School is part of the implementation of the Anderson District Four Long Range Facilities Plan completed by Urban Collage in 2004.

ASSOCIATE HAS BABY BOY! - August 2007

Urban Collage Associate Dennis Madsen and wife Laura Lester welcomed son Adlai into the world on August 20th at 1:42pm!

SENIOR ASSOCIATE NOMNIATED AS GPA TREASURER - August 2007

Eric Bosman, AICP, Senior Associate at Urban Collage, was recently elected Treasurer of the Georgia Planning Association for a 2-year term.  Congratulations, Eric!

PRINCIPAL ON SANDY SPRINGS RADIO - July 2007
Bob Begle (principal at Urban Collage) was recently featured as a guest on the local show "Radio Sandy Springs" discussing urban design issues in metro Atlanta and beyond.  Download and listen to the interview here.  (must have high-speed connection)

PEACHTREE STREETSCAPES ENTER SECOND PHASE - July 2007
After years of planning, design and coordination, the second phase of the Peachtree Streetscape in Midtown will be under way within the next month.  The project, which is part of the Midtown Alliance's Cityscapes Program, will be implemented between 10th Street and Peachtree Circle and will include new sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, street trees, handicap ramps and the installation of new on-street parking in many areas.  The first phase, which ran between 3rd and 10th Streets was completed in early 2006.  Urban Collage has been assisting the Midtown Alliance in planning such projects since 2000.

NEW HIRE! - July 2007

Urban Collage welcomes new planner Niti Gajjar.  Mrs. Gajjar worked as an intern here in 2006 and has since graduated with a Masters degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati. 

FORT MCPHERSON REDEVELOPMENT ON HORIZON - July 2007

Check out a recent article on the redevelopment of Fort McPherson, a 488 acre miliary base 3 miles from Downtown Atlanta that is scheduled to close by 2012.  Urban Collage spent much of early 2007 working with design teams and affected communities to envision a long-term plan for the site.

SUWANEE LIFESTYLE ALL ABUZZ - July 2007

Check out recent articles here and here highlighting Suwanee residents' thoughts on their new downtown, which was planned by Urban Collage in cooperation with the City of Suwanee over the last 5 years.  The first few phases of the project are now significantly built out and stand as a regional model for "smart growth."

RIBBON CUTTING AT HISTORIC WESTSIDE VILLAGE! - July 2007

After several years of planning by Urban Collage for the Trammel Crow Company, the first phase of this catalytic project is being unveiled on July 28, 2007!  The Washington Condominums, a transit-oriented/mixed-use development is situated on the west side of Downtown Atlanta adjacent to several historic neighborhoods, a large retail node and MARTA Rail. 

DOUGHERTY COUNTY SCHOOLS PLAN APPROVED, SCHOOLS GET BUILT - June 2007

Dougherty County School System's 5-Year Plan was recommended for approval by the Georgia Department of Education Facilities Validation Team with recommendations for following through on the system's 15-Year Strategic Plan, Developed by Urban Collage, Inc.  The system is also seeing the first of many new schools nearing completion: Live Oaks Elementary School will open this August!