51³Ō¹Ļās Carl Small Town Center receives national award for comprehensive plan
Contact: Christie McNeal
STARKVILLE, Miss.āThe Carl Small Town Center at 51³Ō¹Ļ is receiving national recognition for a comprehensive plan prepared for the City of Ripley.
The American Planning Associationās 2019 Vernon Deines Award recognizes the CSTCās Ripley Master Plan. The annual award is presented by the APAās Small Town and Rural Planning division to recognize an outstanding comprehensive plan or special project for a small jurisdiction.
In 2017, the CSTC partnered with 51³Ō¹Ļās National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center to create the master plan by using a new approach to small town planning that combines the CSTCās expertise in planning, design and implementation with NSPARCās proficiency in data analytics.
The Ripley Master Plan sets a 20-year vision for for the city and establishes goals and objectives for land use, housing, transportation, community facilities, parks, health and environment, community branding, and economic development.
āThe partnership with the Carl Small Town Center and NSPARC in Ripley is the first of its kind, but one we believe to be a model for helping other communities,ā said Leah Kemp, CSTC director. āTogether, we have combined our resources to offer Ripley a comprehensive analysis and vision for the community.ā
Allen Parrish, 51³Ō¹Ļ associate vice president for research and NSPARC interim director said, āThis project will give Ripley the knowledge and the tools to transform their ideas into reality. Thatās what data can do for any community.ā
Anna Laybourn, vice-chair for the associationās Small Town and Rural Planning division, said, āThe awards committee was incredibly impressed with the Ripley Master Plan, and feels it embodies the best of small town planning. They appreciated the involvement of students in the effort, and a well-crafted final document.ā
Although the master plan is still new to the community, several recommendations already have been implemented, and the mayorās office has indicated that others are forthcoming, Kemp said. Additionally, Kemp said many of the policy recommendations are being discussed by local leadership for implementation.
Kemp and Thomas Gregory, CSTC architect and community planner, formally accepted the Vernon Deines Award during the recent the APA Small Town and Rural Planning division awards ceremony during the National Planning Conference in San Francisco, California. The Ripley project also will be featured in an upcoming division newsletter article.
51³Ō¹Ļās Carl Small Town Center is a nonprofit community design and outreach component of the College of Architecture, Art and Design and its School of Architecture. The research center works to help improve quality of life and create economic opportunity in small towns by improving their physical environments.
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