Volume 1 The Executive

Summary

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“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s

blood and probably themselves will not be realized.”

—Daniel Burnham

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Introduction Sustainability is not a new term. In recent years, how-ever, it has become an omnipresent buzzword, appear-ing in a wide range of forums to convey a long-term, comprehensive approach to decision making. What does it mean to live in and be part of a sustainable commu-nity? What does it take to operate a city sustainably? What does a Sustainable Colquitt look like? These questions remained a driving force throughout the stu-dio process as we formulated a plan that will propel Col-quitt to the forefront of sustainability. Generally speaking, the studio team has come to define "sustainability" as meeting the current environmental, social, and economic needs of the community while in-creasing the ability of future generations to meet these needs. Sustainability is a desire to pass on a world that is better than the one we inherited. For Colquitt, Sustainability is:

• Eating fresh produce

• Children riding bikes to school

• Creating a highly walkable community

• Creating renewable energy sources

• Local economic development

Sustainability requires a three-pronged approach, com-prised of social equity (people), economic health (prosperity), and environmental stewardship (planet). Collectively, these elements set the foundation for qual-ity of life. In order for Colquitt to thrive today and to-morrow, all three elements must be strong. “The Sustainability Plan” or “The Plan” articulates a vision of Colquitt that integrates all three elements of sustainability into future development. If successful, Colquitt will be a clean, healthy, efficient, green, mobile, aware, pedestrian friendly, and invested community.

"When we tug at a single thing in na-ture, we find it at-tached to the rest of the world." - John Muir

Crafting The Sustainability Plan began with an ex-tensive inventory of existing conditions. A thorough analysis of census data and socioeconomic statistics constituted the quantitative data collection while nu-merous site visits, interviews, and internet data min-ing made up the qualitative information gathering efforts.

The data collection stage concluded with two vision-ing sessions held in Colquitt. The public meetings were run as charrettes to solicit the opinions of the community in a highly interactive forum. We encour-aged the community to think deeply about the future of Colquitt and they responded with very little hesita-tion. Their participation helped forge a vision that could be put in writing. Map exercises, surveys, and candid discussions proved to be effective tools for gauging preferences and moving the process forward. The initial data collection efforts and ensuing results of the visioning meetings are documented in Volume II.

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The Document

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The Sustainability Plan consists of three text volumes, a map book, and public participation boards.

Volume I: The Executive Summary is intended for massive public distribution to inform Colquitt residents.

Volume II The Sustainability Plan—Technical Plan contains two sections

Section I: Background Data contains data synthesized after the final visioning meeting.

Volume II Section I—Background Data

•Existing Conditions

•Community Visioning

•Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses

Section II: The Sustainability Plan—Technical Plan presents the plan as designed from the background data that was synthesized, analyzed, incorporated with our professional judgment. The Technical Plan provides comprehensive detail for all elements of The Sustainabil-ity Plan. It explains all of the recommendations to enable Colquitt to become a community with long-term sustain-ability.

Volume II Section II: The Sustainability Plan—Technical Plan

• Healthy Community

• Public Realm

• Redesigning 27

• Economic Development

• Tourism

• Infill Development

• Sustainable Energy

Volume III: “The Plan”

Just as Colquitt became Georgia’s First Mural City, Colquitt will also become Georgia’s First Sustainable Rural Commu-nity. The Sustainability Plan addresses alternative courses of action to create a more sustainable Colquitt by generally applying the following methodology.

1. The analysis of planning problems

2. The identification of goals, objectives, and resources

3. The formulation of alternative plans to reach the goals and objectives

4. The establishment of programs to implement the plan

Volume III Sustainability Plan

• Healthy Neighborhoods

• Improving the Public Realm

• Redesigning US 27

• Tourism

• Infill Strategies

• Sustainable Energy

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“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” - Jimmy Carter

The Plan is comprised of six interconnected chapters; each chapter contains the immense potential, capable of swaying the pendulum towards sustainable develop-ment.

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Healthy Community

As Colquitt continues to develop and evolve, the strate-gies and guidelines set forth in this section will become the staple that maintains Colquitt’s sense of community. This chapter ensures the strength and wellness of Col-quitt as it heads into the future with a charge of sustain-ability. The section addresses the issues of a segregated community and a disenfranchised youth by giving citi-zens a more powerful voice within their community through the establishment of an active permanent entity called the Healthy Colquitt Council. The Healthy Col-quitt Council will be charged with ensuring that specific portions of the sustainability document are followed and implemented. These include code enforcement, design review, and management of the community gardens. The council will attempt to ensure that all voices of the community are heard and represented at bimonthly meetings.

Neighborhoods are walkable mixed-use areas. By defin-ing Colquitt’s neighborhoods, individual needs and as-sets can be addressed and maximized. The map below identifies Colquitt neighborhoods.

The most vital por-tion of the Healthy Community chapter is the Healthy Col-quitt Council. The Healthy Colquitt Council ensures that this plan is imple-mented and ex-panded.

The Healthy Commu-nity chapter should not be viewed as a simple form of guide-lines and recommen-dations. It is a call to action and means of achieving change.

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Public Realm

The public realm is all the connective spaces used by everyone, which includes streets, sidewalks, the town square, civic buildings, parks and open space. The pub-lic realm is also what people experience such as ground floor activity, views and vistas, street life, light and air, and public art.

A quality public realm will regenerate Colquitt while im-proving the lives of the people who live, work, and play there. It can attract visitors who will spend time and money in a vibrant downtown and a thriving commu-nity. The public realm embodies the core of sustainabil-ity because it underpins redevelopment infill and eco-nomic development efforts, promotes mobility, pre-serves parks and open space while providing a venue for positive social interaction.

Results of the visioning survey indicate that the majority of the participants favored improvements to the public realm. These improvements included: creating a con-nected sidewalk system, introducing bike lanes, lighting the streets, improving accessibility to existing parks, and creating new parks.

The principal objective of the public realm strat-egy is to promote quality public spaces and routes that are attractive, convenient and safe. The design guidelines presented identify improvements and also recognize opportunities to create new, quality public spaces and connections that enhance the town’s character.

“There is an urgent need for an alterna-tive basis for urban landscape form that is in tune with the growing awareness of, and concern for, the issues of energy, environment and natural resource conservation.”

-Michael Hough

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Redesigning US 27 Corridor

Results from the two community visioning workshops in-dicated that Colquitt residents would like Crawford Street (US 27) to become less dangerous for pedestrians, bicy-clists, and motorists. The existing combination of high volume traffic and a lack of sidewalks or bike lanes dis-courages residents from walking or biking to local desti-nations. Clustering shops , while adding sidewalks and bike lanes, will improve the corridor’s appearance. Ap-propriate landscape design will create an environment conducive to walking and biking. Thus, redesigning the street is imperative to increasing accessibility to the new businesses and promoting further commercial develop-

US 27 presents the opportunity for creating an attractive entrance to Colquitt. Residents indicated that they would like to see the character of the road enhanced and visual continuity established as it passes through Col-quitt. The intentional placement of design features will further establish a sense of place, character, and charm. Landscape design will differentiate the city limits from the rural hinterlands and announce to passersby that they have arrived in a sustainable community.

Economic Development

Creating and sustaining a healthy, resilient, and diverse local economy is one of the foundations of sustainable communities. Regions that have a series of well con-nected and complete communities attract new employ-ment and help to retain existing jobs. Without a resilient and sustainable economy, the livability of the commu-nity and region can suffer, forcing residents to work far-ther away from their homes. Local economic develop-ment will play a vital role in Colquitt’s ability to main-tain its population and quality of life in the 21st Century. Colquitt must maximize its existing assets and improve upon its deficiencies. This chapter analyzes the existing structure of economic development in Colquitt and pre-sents recommendations for ways to build upon its strengths. It then proposes alternatives to revitalize the economy.

The chapter details the following catalytic economic ac-tivities:

• Tax Increment Financing (as shown below)

• Enterprise Zone

• Downtown Development

• Value Added Agriculture

• Local Food Initiatives

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While individual ac-tions and lifestyle choices, such as buy-ing organic produce, are important per-sonal contributions, strengthening local economies requires a collective shift in indi-vidual actions and po-litical choices.

—Mark Roseland & Lena Soots Tax Allocation District

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Tourism

With the changes made to Colquitt’s design standards, activities, funding strategies, marketing, and signage, the City will be poised to take the lead in sustainable de-velopment both as a tourist destination and as a place to live. Central to the development of Colquitt is the revi-talization of the four segments of Heritage Way, as shown below.

Elements Used to Market Sustainable Tourism:

• Participation in the 100 Mile Diet

• Creation of new Colquitt products

• Establishment of a dog park

• Installing a bicycle sharing program

• Promoting agri-tourism & alternative energy

• Establishment of a welcome center

• Expansion of Bed & Breakfast lodgings

These sectors will re-inforce one another by their presence and bring diverse groups into Colquitt.

Infill Strategies

Several parcels in Colquitt are ready for redevelopment. From abandoned buildings to underutilized open land, much potential exists to create great places. Some struc-tures can be rehabilitated, other properties can be rede-veloped; simply planting trees, placing benches, and adding landscaping will also greatly improve several properties.

Infill efforts should be concentrated within the Infill Focus District which has been demarcated because of its strategic importance. It is the hub of commerce and activity in Colquitt. It must continu-ally improve in order to generate a vibrant and sustain-able Colquitt. Within this designation is the Town Square District which lies at Colquitt’s commercial core. The Plan lays out several ways to create an economically viable Town Square. Future economic development and tourism related activities rely on a vibrant Town Square, but redevelopment throughout the Infill Focus District will supplement and reinforce the existing businesses and make it a strong node of economic activity.

In addition to the Town Square, several other prime re-generation sites throughout the designated Infill Focus District have been identified because of their strategic locations and or catalytic potential for redevelopment. These properties should be considered redevelopment

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Cotton Hall

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Main Street

Farmers M

arket

Community Garden

Area

Community Garden Phase Two or

Cotton Hall Expansion Area

"The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beau-tiful than it was be-fore the building was built."

- Frank Lloyd Wright

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Sustainable Energy

Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. Potential energy sources—solar, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, biofuels, and hydrogen all have unique characteristics that influence their usability. Evaluation of Colquitt’s unique situation suggest that it is well positioned to exploit energy pro-duction from solar and biomass sources. Energy pro-duction in excess of Colquitt’s current needs would greatly enhance the local economy the surplus is sold to the state power grid. Solar power is the easiest to imple-ment. Panels can be installed on portions of existing buildings. New construction can incorporate solar from its inception. A biofuel or biomass power plant would require extensive consultation, but the benefits would be significant because of Colquitt’s location on a transpor-tation corridor. The existing peanut processing plant and agricultural base within the county provide a ready source of feedstock. Alternative energy production is on the rise nationally and Colquitt has the ability to capitalize on the economic benefits, while also raising attention to the progressive-ness and environmentally minded nature of this community.

Georgia has experienced a reduction in crop farm in-comes because of low market prices for the many oil-seeds produced in the state, including soybean, cotton-seed and crush quality peanuts. Furthermore, there is a strong possibility that disposing of animal fat by-products and spent vegetable oils may become increas-ingly difficult in the future. These condi-tions lay the founda-tion for biodiesel production, which would help create additional markets for farmers and help reduce the amount of waste oil, fat, and grease being dumped into landfills and sewers.

"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired in value."

—Teddy Roosevelt

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Thank you

The Spring 2009 Studio Members Mehdi Benkhatar Elizabeth Butler Eric Engman Caroline Horton Jeremy Hubsch Martin Laws Katelyn Lynch Holly Munroe Andrew Orr Clarissa Owens John Rice Tyrone Scorsone Jana Williams Mary Jean Yarbrough

The Studio Advisory Committee Timothy Chapin Namji Jung Melissa Saunders Cory Thomas

The Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Florida State University City of Colquitt Miller County Arts Council