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In August 2003, Region 2020 joined with The Auburn Center for Architecture and Urban Studies (AUCUS) and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC) to form a partnership to create the Center for Regional Planning and Design.
The partners envision the Center as a resource and convening place for people who want to build better communities. The space brings together government entities, civic groups, neighborhood organizations, businesses and citizens to develop and coordinate plans and programs to enhance neighborhoods, towns and cities.
Although housed in downtown Birmingham, the center is being designed in such a way as to reflect its owners, which include communities, counties and citizens throughout Central Alabama.
"The Center brings together resources that can better serve communities and it makes those resources more accessible," said Larry Watts, executive director of RPC. "Our vision was to create a working environment that was collaborative, and could add to the quality of the work and make it more cost effective."
The Region 2020 and RPC partnership makes sense, because the two organizations already work closely on several regional projects. The Auburn Center's expertise in planning and design will be a valuable asset in helping to achieve the Region 2020 initiatives.
"We really do have common goals of improving the quality of life through good planning and design, and creating good choices for people doing development or redevelopment," said Cheryl Morgan, Auburn Center director.
The partners are soliciting funds to expand and support the Center. Plans call for a state-of-the-art regional community conference center that would include videoconferencing capabilities, a town hall space, small meeting space and interactive workspace.
The Partners
Region 2020:
Region 2020 is a citizen-driven, non-profit that
seeks to improve the quality of life in 12 Central Alabama counties
through regional cooperative efforts in areas such as education, housing,
the environment, transportation, and the arts. The effort began in 1997
and involved more than 5,000 citizens, who helped shape the priorities for
the organization.
Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham:
RPC is a service
agency that assists local governments in planning activities. RPC's mission
is to promote regional excellence and community development. The RPC
district includes Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker
Counties.
Auburn Center for Architecture and Urban Studies:
The Auburn
Center is a teaching venue for the AU School of Architecture, Design
and Construction. In the program, students pursue design and professional
engagement and engage in community projects. ACAUS has worked through
its Small Town Design Initiative in more than 20 communities across Alabama,
helping to develop long-range visions and strategic plans for revitalization.
