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Your Town: The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
Your Town: The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design, was created by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991 in conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was founded in acknowledgement of the environmental and cultural values embedded in America's natural, agricultural, and small-town landscapes, which are endangered by both economic stagnation and poorly-planned growth. These problems affect the vitality of a community, its design, and its sense of place. Your Town addresses the issues of community integrity and character through the process of design in a three-day participatory workshop, in which local leaders are given the tools that can help them shape the physical future of their communities. Over more than 45 workshops since 1991, the Institute has helped empower community leaders to revitalize their downtowns, build greenways, and conserve important land resources. For example, Your Town provided a catalyst for Montezuma, Georgia to implement design guidelines for the reconstruction of its downtown after a flood; it led Frederick County Maryland to develop a scenic plan for historic Route 15; and it helped the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation develop the idea for a cooperative organic farm. The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Faculty of Landscape Architecture at SUNY Syracuse, and the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University. For more information, please visit www.yourtowndesign.org . < Return to Design Partnerships National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency |
