Macon-Bibb County and partners are continuing their work alongside the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization to reconnect the community. Urban Design Associates is being hired after a competitive bid process to work with the neighborhood this next year to create an Urban Design & Cultural Preservation Master Plan.
“This is the culmination of several years of work to create a public space, transportation, anti-displacement, and cultural preservation plan for the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood,” says Alex Morrison, Director of Planning & Public Spaces. “Doing this work was set forth in the neighborhood-driven Pleasant Hill Strategic Plan, and it will create an economic development plan for the neighborhood…a sidewalk and streetscape project…and a plan to continue the mitigation efforts”
To select the firm that would help create the plan, a committee of residents shortlisted the firms that submitted proposals, and the top three were invited to make in-person presentations to the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organizations and residents. More than 40 people attended those presentations, and Urban Design Associates was overwhelming selected.
“The residents had a very strong consensus on this decision,” says Morrison. He also points out that the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization will be the lead partner on developing this plan, with others acting in support and technical assistance roles. In this way, it can be assured there is ample input and consensus by the people who live in the neighborhood.
Funding for this process comes from a federal grant through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Program. The grant was submitted through the community’s participation in the Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC) learning network, a national initiative which aims to demonstrate how public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more resilient communities.
Historic Pleasant Hill was cut in half by the construction of I-75 more than 60 years ago, and that – in conjunction with other policies like redlining and disinvestment in the once vibrant neighborhood – have led to its steady decline, making it unequal to surrounding areas.
“The RCC process has given us the chance to truly come together around the common cause of reconnecting our neighborhoods and creating a stronger community, and to truly address the harms done to Pleasant Hill,” says Morrison. “Through this process, we can learn from the mistakes of the past, have an honest conversation about where we are today, and truly plan for the future, from commerce to housing to culture.”
In the past several years, the partners have undertaken multiple transformative projects identified by residents and neighborhood conditions. That includes the construction of affordable housing at Pleasant Hill Landing, community programming at the revitalized Booker T. Washington Center, reactivated greenspace at Willis B. Sheftall Sr. Legacy Park and Jefferson Long Park, the opening of the Little Richard House & Community Center, improved connectivity and transit options along Walnut Street with the Pleasant Hill Pathway Project, and more. Many of these projects or issues they address were identified in the Pleasant Hill Strategic Plan which was funded by the Downtown Challenge Grant and is based on feedback and engagement of more than 400 community members.
About Reimagining Civic Commons in Macon
Macon is one of 12 participating cities in the Reimagining the Civic Commons learning network, a national initiative which aims to demonstrate how public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more resilient communities. Macon’s Civic Commons team is composed of representatives of city government, philanthropy and local nonprofits, and the team joined the network in 2020. Macon aims to be an example for the national initiative of how an innovative, strategic, and community-led approach to public space investment can lead to a more engaged, resilient city.
“Participating in the civic commons network gives us a toolkit and process to ensure quality public space that drives value and equity in our community,” says Alex Morrison, the project’s co-lead convener and Executive Director of the Urban Development Authority. “This effort is helping us reconnect with the type of design that our city founders laid out.”
The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority is the convening agency for this effort. Active and engaged partners working together include the AARP, Bike Walk Macon, Causey Construction Consulting, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Friends of Rosa Parks Square, JBK Southern, Inc., Macon-Bibb Community Enhancement Authority, Macon-Bibb County Consolidated Government, Main Street Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza, NewTown Macon, Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, the Peyton Anderson Foundation, Rhythm and Jazz, WT Designs, the JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation.