Designing the Future in Small Communities: Higher Education Assistance in Economic Development Planning & Visioning

Presentation Format

Panel Discussion

Intended Audience

All Audiences

Program Abstract

A public service consultant, academic professor, and two public service faculty members will share information about community economic development strategic planning processes in 2 communities through a community-university partnership. They will include examples of how higher education faculty and students can partner with communities to engage public-private partnerships and grow investment. Each will share their experiences and perspective regarding their involvement in the efforts, and some of the outcomes.

Presentation Description

The Archway Partnership is a community-driven, University System of Georgia (USG) outreach platform with the goal of helping communities better access resources within the University of Georgia and the university system. In 2 Archway Partnership communities, Hart County (Northeast GA) and Candler County (East GA), partnering with University of Georgia resources has assisted with strategic planning for economic development.

In Candler County, the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) conducted a Retail Market Power Analysis, which was further researched by Terry College of Business students, who made recommendations for specific franchises for the community to target for recruitment. This information helped to drive a simultaneous engagement of UGA's College of Engineering to work with both the City of Metter and a private land-owner to determine necessary site improvements which would make a pre-determined site more attractive to development. Students worked to plan roads and intersections, subdivide the tract into parcels, and make suggestions for water and sewer capacity plans based on franchise requirements. In Hart County, UGA College of Environment & Design faculty and students have assisted the County and the Industrial Business Authority to develop plans and designs for their industrial park through a weekend design charrette and internship projects. UGA SBDC has also assisted with retail market analysis, and Terry College of Business students are working with Hart County on strategic planning for a proposed retail corridor adjacent to the industrial park.

For communities with limited resources, hiring professional planning consultants, landscape architects, and engineers to produce these types of plans would have been unaffordable. The collaborative efforts of the Archway Partnership and its outreach and mobilization of higher education resources to communities across Georgia has engaged higher education and public and private partners in economic development, provided students and faculty with real-world experience, and helped to stretch meager public funds to address key community needs. Presenters will share information about the strategic planning and visioning processes for economic development in Candler County and Hart County, and their roles as higher education resources. They will include examples of how higher education faculty and students can partner with communities to foster public-private partnerships, discuss outcomes of the process, and ways other higher education resources have contributed to the development of economic development priorities.

Location

Auditorium

Start Date

4-15-2016 8:15 AM

End Date

4-15-2016 9:30 AM

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Apr 15th, 8:15 AM Apr 15th, 9:30 AM

Designing the Future in Small Communities: Higher Education Assistance in Economic Development Planning & Visioning

Auditorium

The Archway Partnership is a community-driven, University System of Georgia (USG) outreach platform with the goal of helping communities better access resources within the University of Georgia and the university system. In 2 Archway Partnership communities, Hart County (Northeast GA) and Candler County (East GA), partnering with University of Georgia resources has assisted with strategic planning for economic development.

In Candler County, the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) conducted a Retail Market Power Analysis, which was further researched by Terry College of Business students, who made recommendations for specific franchises for the community to target for recruitment. This information helped to drive a simultaneous engagement of UGA's College of Engineering to work with both the City of Metter and a private land-owner to determine necessary site improvements which would make a pre-determined site more attractive to development. Students worked to plan roads and intersections, subdivide the tract into parcels, and make suggestions for water and sewer capacity plans based on franchise requirements. In Hart County, UGA College of Environment & Design faculty and students have assisted the County and the Industrial Business Authority to develop plans and designs for their industrial park through a weekend design charrette and internship projects. UGA SBDC has also assisted with retail market analysis, and Terry College of Business students are working with Hart County on strategic planning for a proposed retail corridor adjacent to the industrial park.

For communities with limited resources, hiring professional planning consultants, landscape architects, and engineers to produce these types of plans would have been unaffordable. The collaborative efforts of the Archway Partnership and its outreach and mobilization of higher education resources to communities across Georgia has engaged higher education and public and private partners in economic development, provided students and faculty with real-world experience, and helped to stretch meager public funds to address key community needs. Presenters will share information about the strategic planning and visioning processes for economic development in Candler County and Hart County, and their roles as higher education resources. They will include examples of how higher education faculty and students can partner with communities to foster public-private partnerships, discuss outcomes of the process, and ways other higher education resources have contributed to the development of economic development priorities.