 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
• board members
ACAUS was founded by Associate Professor Franklin Setzer in 1991 as a teaching venue for Auburn’s School of Architecture, Design and Construction. Birmingham is an excellent laboratory of study for future design professionals and, as Alabama’s largest metropolitan area, is home to many Auburn constituents and alumni.
In the program, fourth-year and thesis students pursue design and professional practice and engage in community projects. In particular, the design studio and professional practice offer numerous opportunities for interaction with the City of Birmingham and practicing architects, landscape architects and planners during project orientation, critiques and reviews. The community projects have included work with the Ensley community, Woodlawn, Rosedale and the Birmingham Historical Society’s Buddy-Up Program.
In the design studio, the directed design studies have included: Midtown Housing, Railroad Reservation Park, Sloss Furnaces Master Plan, Lakeview and Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard in-fill. These studies have helped to explore and expand the potential of the projects and flesh out a range of possibilities, from the pragmatic to “blue sky.”
Professor Setzer was on the board of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District when Hope VI funding was secured for Metropolitan Gardens, and he was involved in the formation of the non-profit Birmingham Affordable Rental Communities (BARC), whose mission is to provide well-maintained Section Eight housing in the Birmingham area. He was also Director of DesignAlabama from 1996-1998. Professor Setzer died in May 2001.
Professor Setzer was instrumental in forging ACAUS’ sense of responsibility and possibility in work with communities across Alabama. His work with DesignAlabama’s community design program laid the foundation for a new program: the Small Town Design Initiative, which was begun in 1998. It was clear that citizens and communities statewide were eager to protect and preserve those things that made their towns special, while preparing for revitalization, growth and improved quality of life. Awareness was raised and communities sensed a building momentum: Were they to be left behind, or bulldozed over?
At the same time, regional planning commissions were stretched to their limits, and most communities were not in a fiscal position to hire professional planners. The opportunities for outreach through ACAUS were evident and, since then, we have worked with more than 18 communities across Alabama, helping to develop long-range visions and strategic plans for revitalization. Many of these communities are in the counties served by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC) and Region 2020, including: Marion, Brighton, Helena, Gadsden, Lineville and Hoover. Helena was a team project with RPC.
ACAUS brings extensive experience to the new Center for Regional Planning
and Design, and an ongoing commitment to working with communities to
identify those positive assets that can be the basis of a sound master
plan for physical and economic vitality -- creating distinctive opportunities
for building higher quality of life, broader prospects in the community
and -- a better place to live.
