DDA accomplishes a major milestone

In 2007 the Centerville DDA accomplished a major milestone. After feedback sessions with the public, as-well-as input from the Mayor, City Council and authority members, the City and DDA contracted with the University of Georgia to provide a potential design to what a new Centerville downtown could look like.

The charrette process is a way of evaluating resources through new eyes. Fresh ideas are what helps communities maintain and build their vitality. It was with this in mind that a team of students, many graduate candidates, descended on Centerville lead by Pratt Cassity, Director, Center of Community Design, Planning and Conservation.

Armed with feedback from the City, DDA and most importantly, from a public input session on March 3rd, 2007, the team went to work looking at the challenge through those fresh eyes. The results of this extensive effort was presented on Monday March 5th and refined over the following weeks.

What follows, and is detailed elsewhere within this site, are three concepts the City and DDA can use in their goal of creating a Centerville Downtown from what is now a blank canvas.

The word “charrette” describes a rapid, intense, and creative work session in which a design team focuses on a particular design problem and arrives at a collaborate solution.

Charrettes are product oriented, and are fast becoming a preferred method to solve planning challenges confronting American cities.

The charrette process is a way of evaluating resources through new eyes. Fresh ideas are what help communities maintain and build their vitality.