In cooperation with City leaders, local businesses, and interested residents, Urban Collage, Inc. has developed a plan to enhance and reinvigorate the City of Social Circle, Georgia’s historic downtown. The Cherokee Road Master Plan focuses on reducing the width of a soon-to-be former state highway to create a more attractive, walkable town center. The planning process has included significant public involvement to evaluate various design alternatives and has utilized a market analysis from Market + Main to ensure that proposed improvements enhance the historic commercial center’s business environment as well.

Urban Collage, Inc. in collaboration with Perkins + Will and M2D Design Group recently completed a campus master plan for Eastern Kentucky University. Urban Collage helped identify relationships between the university’s edges and the surrounding urban context of the City of Richmond and helped establish potential future partnerships. The plan included placement recommendations for new educational facilities as well as the creation of the “Colonel Path,” a sustainable, multi-use facility tying the campus together; as well as plans for the expanding South Campus.

Urban Collage, as part of a team led by TCGI and Quadel Consulting, conducted a study of the existing housing stock and properties of the Housing Authority of Savannah. The Authority was looking for an assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of its holdings, with an eye on creating a comprehensive strategy for re-use, renovation and redevelopment of the individual projects. Urban Collage was responsible for analyzing the physical and developmental context of each site and of Downtown in general, and then presented potential strategies for the future of each site. The graphic and narrative products presented are part of a larger set of recommendations presented to the Housing Authority.

Urban Collage is proud to announce its new website and e-newsletter. The newly redesigned website (www.urbancollage.com) includes client “Collaboration” websites and the “ The UC Wire”, detailing projects, news and notes about our work.

Planner Louis Johnson has been volunteering with a charity group called Team in Training, a group of everyday folks who train for and compete in endurance events to raise money for a cause. Louis’ event was the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon, which he completed in record time (for him). In an effort to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Louis exceeded his personal goal, raising over $4,000 for the Society. Well done!

Soumi Basu joins the Urban Collage team, working out of the Lexington office. Soumi comes to us from the University of Cincinnati, and brings both an Architecture degree and a Masters in Community Planning.

Soumi combines expansive computer skills with a highly refined design sensibility. We know she’ll make an excellent member of our team. Welcome, Soumi!

In the short few years since Urban Collage completed the 2004 Imagine Downtown Plan, growth has continued to focus on Downtown Atlanta in the spirit of short commutes, urban living and an overall increased quality of life. Working with Central Atlanta Progress and The City of Atlanta, Urban Collage took a fresh look at the changing urban fabric in Downtown and helped to re-prioritize plans for incenting new development, transportation enhancements and improved public spaces.

The North Fulton Community Improvement District Board is building upon the success of Blueprint North Fulton by authorizing over $2 Million in expenditures to move 11 of the plan’s priority community improvement projects toward implementation. Urban Collage, Inc. is assisting the Community Improvement District and Program Manager (PBS&J) to oversee the design of streetscape, landscape, pedestrian, and mixed-use trail projects that will enhance connectivity and quality of life in North Fulton County.

The American Planning Association (APA) presented the National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation to the ARC's Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) program. Urban Collage is proud to be a part of the program through our completion of 24 LCI documents since 2000 when the study portion of the program was established.