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 Creating Community in Alabama, Architecture
for Living Together
In
the aftermath of several destructive hurricanes, most recently Katrina,
community leaders in Alabama are recognizing the value of thoughtful
planning and design.
Rapidly growing communities throughout the state are facing problems
associated with growth: limited community planning, traffic congestion,
poor design of the built environment, little support for pedestrian
activity, and a diminishing sense of community identity.
To address these concerns, AIA
Alabama, AIA
Birmingham, and the Alabama
Architectural Foundation have begun a multi-faceted education and
advocacy initiative. A key product of their initiative will
be a
new book entitled Creating Community in Alabama: Architecture for
Living Together. The book is designed to inform community
planning workshops as it explores the challenges that can erode quality
communities, including:
- Abandonment of town centers in
favor of highway commercial strips
- Destruction of scenic rural
landscapes
- Building design that hinders
interaction
- City design that encourages
dependence on automobiles
The book will feature Alabama communities that illustrate principles of
livability: environments that are built to human scale, a variety of
transportation options, mixed-use development, and lively public spaces.
Another piece of the initiative involves collaboration with
Metropolitan Birmingham Services for the Homeless, and Birmingham
Community Development to design community-based solutions for
transitional housing for the homeless, helping to overcome the
“not in my backyard” syndrome faced by these
agencies.
The initiative also includes a series of articles in the Birmingham
News showcasing exemplary communities; presentations to neighborhood
associations; and a three-day workshop called “Your Town
Alabama” to introduce elected officials, citizens, and
decision
makers to the process of community planning.
AIA
Alabama is also implementing programs for the
state’s K-12
students. “Dream Architecture” introduces
elementary
school students to architecture and includes a teachers’
workshop, and a hands-on workshop for third- through
fifth-graders. The “Studio I” program
involves high
school students working on Saturdays to solve design problems, and
takes the students to visit architecture schools at Auburn University,
Tuskegee University and the Rural Studio.
The book will be a valuable resource to these and other programs that
engage citizens in the design of their communities, and encourage
public policy that supports the principles of livability.
View
all Blueprint Initiatives |
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