Georgia Municipal Association has formed a pilot program to assist cities in their placemaking efforts. The Georgia Placemaking Collaborative is designed to assist cities in developing locally-based strategies to address their most pressing economic development and quality of life issues. The first “Freshman Class” of the Collaborative will serve as the pilot cities, assisting in the development of the future content and format of the program. Bainbridge has been selected as part of the “Freshman Class” as well as Gainesville and Greensboro.

The three cities chosen are based off three different population sectors. The Georgia Placemaking Collaborative focused in on these particular locations because of the past projects they have been associated with, along with the new economic development they are seeing pop up. They have recognized Bainbridge, specifically is at a pivotal point in its growth with the announcement of Taurus, Diablos and a new microbrewery.

Placemaking is an approach to planning, design, economic development, community marketing, promoting quality of life, and creating a shared future for a place. Placemaking builds on a community’s assets, responds to a community’s aspirations, promotes a quality of life that appeals to residents, and focuses on shared public spaces and assets.

Amanda Glover, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority said placemaking is essentially creating great places.

The Placemaking Collaborative is a three-year program with two retreats per year. The retreats will include facilitation for community teams along with education and peer learning. The organizations working on this program include Georgia Municipal Association, the Georgia Cities Foundation, the Department of Community Affairs, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia Power.

Bainbridge’s local team will consist of Darrell Cox, Amanda Glover, Roy Oliver, Councilman Don Whaley, Adrienne Harrison, Heather Thomas, Allyson Whittaker, Natalie Kirbo and Nikki Rich. The team will be provided training at the two retreats and develop their own individual strategy for how to improve the quality of life in Bainbridge and help create other placemaking strategies.

“We are very excited to be chosen as the “Freshman Class” for the Georgia Placemaking Collaborative and be on the ground floor of initiatives and innovative ways to spur short and long-term projects for our great community. This Collaborative coupled with our Rural Tax Zone designation positions Downtown Bainbridge for positive growth in the future,” said Assistant City Manager Roy Oliver.