Top 10 Bounce-Back Cities

Urban Land Institute reports on the top ten cities with the strongest recession bounce-back and what's driving their resurgence.

WPi's Master Planned Tyger River Park On-Schedule

Tyger River Park, a 140-acre park near Reidville, SC,  is scheduled to open late September.  An article on GoUpstate.com details how the project has overcome internal obstacles to aim for an on-time grand opening just in-time for two ball championships this fall.

Cairo Wins TE Funding

The City of Cairo, Georgia was recently selected to receive $700,000 in Transportation Enhancement (TE) Funding through the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).  This was the largest amount awarded within Cairo’s Congressional District (2).  The money will be used to fund streetscape improvements in downtown Cairo on Broad Street, the town’s main thoroughfare.  This stretch of road is located in Cairo’s Historic District and has many businesses and shops lining both sides.

WPi worked with Chris Addleton, Cairo City Manager, the City of Cairo, and the public in 2008 and 2009 to create a downtown master plan.  A first phase was selected from this plan which the City used to apply for TE funding from GDOT.  WPi assisted Cairo in applying for the federal monies which are distributed through the GDOT.  Now that Cairo has been selected, they plan to involve WPi to take the vision from conceptual to construction level documentation.

The goal of the streetscape improvements is eventual economic development and a pedestrian friendly downtown which all of Cairo’s residents can enjoy.  WPi has enjoyed a great relationship with the City of Cairo and looks to a continuance of that for years to come.  


Click here to visit The Cairo Messenger's website for a full write-up.

Harbour Town Links Ranked in National Magazine

Harbour Town Golf Links ranked #4 in Celebrated Living's "Platinum List" among the top 20 national and international courses.  The article states this course "boast[s] some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world".  Congratulations Harbour Town Golf Links!  #WPi is pleased to have worked on the Sea Pines Clubhouse project for this course. 

Tony Hawk Among First to Skate #H4W Skatepark; Compliments #WPi Design Team

 

Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park Grand Opening Celebration

Dave Malcolm of WPi will celebrate the H4W Grand Opening with the skate community this Saturday.  #WPi provided the Master Planning Services for Phase II of the H4W park.  Click here to RSVP

Happy Birthday WPi

WPi celebrates its 23rd birthday in June's Creating Great Places. 
 

Walkability.

Lately, I've read a lot of articles citing the rise in importance of people-friendly, walkable (sub)urban master plans.  In all the articles, walkability was referenced as a theory or a practice that needs to be applied for our health and happiness. I just uncovered this great article from a year ago that references a website that can calculate how walkable your house (or potential new house) is to amenities.  Quantify your house's walkability by checking out the Wall Street Journal article and the Walk Score website.

P.S. My home got a 32.

#WPi Wins Lynn Haven Main Street Revitalization Project

“Throughout Florida there is a growing interest in improving the appearance and economic stability of historic downtown business districts. In many communities, the main street is in a serious state of decline. Effective solutions to the problems of deteriorating building stock, loss of business, and the waning economic strength of downtown are crucial to the survival of the city itself. 

The Florida Main Street Program is an integral part of the state's historic preservation program. The state program and the national model on which it is based are applicable only to communities with historic resources sufficient to create a well-defined sense of place, a tangible link with the past. The Main Street revitalization process is, then, one of rediscovery rather than recreation. The Program does not deal in marketing themes (other than an honest acknowledgement of a community's heritage) and does not engage in recreating or fabricating traditional commercial centers. Such recreation is not historic preservation.

Main Street cities hire a full-time downtown manager, establish a Main Street Board (with representatives from the public and private sectors), and develop a local program to bring about revitalization of the traditional commercial core.” The Board is responsible to choose vendors to assist in the design of a plan which can be implemented. WPi is excited to have been selected by the Lynn Haven Main Street Program as the vendor (and Landscape Architect) to provide conceptual planning services for the Florida Avenue streetscape in downtown Lynn Haven.

Visit the Florida Division of Historical Resources and the National Trust for Historic Preservation sites to read more on this important program.

#WPi's May E-blast Released!

WPi's May issue of "Creating Great Places!" focuses on the Historic Savannah Harbor's Hutchinson Island.  Click here to learn more about the island and to see the master plan.

Does structrual design lead to obesity, diabetes and depression?

Dr. Richard Jackson, former head of the National Center for Environmental Health at the CDC, said there are “deep-rooted structural issues with the built environment that are creating epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and depression.” in this week's ASLA's The Dirt.

Snedeker Sneaks Past Everyone, Wins Heritage in Playoff

What an exciting Heritage Golf Tournament on Hilton Head Island!  The final-round leaderboard shifted 4 times Sunday afternoon to unveil what seemed like an unlikely winner at the start of the day.  If you missed the action, check out the full article here.

United We Serve

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"  The MLK Day of Service website answers this question.  Find out where you can impact your community on April 30th at mlkday.gov.

#WPi Releases April Edition of Creating Great Places

This month's Creating Great Places features the beauiful sports fields at Oscar Fraser Community Park in Bluffton, South Carolina.

#ASLA Video Animates Eco Planting

Interesting animation on how to save energy (and the planet) through strategic landscaping in this short video: Designing our Future: Sustainable Landscapes.

Happy April!

Free online issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine in celebration of National Landscape Architecture Month!  Check it out!

Park Economics: Red Fields to Green Fields

Can demolishing failed commercial properties to create parks help a struggling economy?  A billion-dollar hedge fund manager & Georgia Tech tell us in this #NRPA article.

Free Ticket to HHI's First Earth Day Celebration!

Learn new sustainability tips and tricks and about the island's new recycling program at this family friendly event at Shelter Cove.  Register online and get in for free! 

Florida Legislation Update

Landscape architecture will not be deregulated in Florida.  Congratulations to ASLA and its advocates for this great win!

#WPi Published in LASN Magazine

WPi's landscape planning and design work at Simpsonville's Heritage Park is featured in this six-page article (Pg 90).