Contact: Maridith Geuder
Communities in Tishomingo and Union counties are launching projects to preserve their unique character as they plan for the future.
New Albany and the town of Tishomingo are receiving funding from the Tupelo-based CREATE Foundation to participate in Mississippi State-directed community design projects. Each municipality will hold a community-wide meeting in March to begin the process.
Established last year, the Common Ground Project draws on expertise at the university's School of Architecture to help Northeast Mississippi communities identify their strengths, weaknesses and needs.
Morgan Baldwin, CREATE's director of programs, said Common Ground, which also is supported by the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi, allows communities to direct their own futures.
"We're pleased to be a partner with the architecture school's Small Town Center because we're committed to community planning and believe that communities must set priorities for future growth and prosperity," he said.
Established in 1979, the Small Town Center focuses specifically on planning and design needs in rural communities, said director Shannon Criss.
To qualify for the Common Ground program, communities first must come together to identify both the issues and resources necessary to address their concerns. "We ask the community's help in selecting 10 case studies in their city or town," Criss said. "The process depends on wide participation to create the common ground to work toward future goals."
Through discussions, residents can develop an understanding of how their "built environment" influences issues such as economy, education, public safety, culture, and other factors, she explained.
Following March community meetings, the New Albany and Tishomingo projects will develop day-long workshops in April to focus on specific areas of interest. Proposals are to be submitted by the end of July.
Common Ground previously conducted projects in Okolona, Fulton, Amory, Aberdeen, and Corinth. Among case studies in each were community entrances, downtown buildings, national historic districts, parks, downtown links with residential neighborhoods, and bypass planning.
Criss said Mississippi State architecture students are called on to provide research assistance. Student teams help assemble maps, photographs and comprehensive community information.
"This has proved to be a valuable, 'real-world' learning experience for students as they interact with and assist communities around Mississippi," she said.
Established in 1973, the Mississippi State architecture school offers the state's only professional degree in architecture. It holds full accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board.