While many Auburn students spent their spring break relaxing on a beach, a small group of Community Planning students saw the break as an opportunity to further their education. Chattanooga, Tenn. and Greenville, S.C. were the unlikely destinations. The students’ goal was to see good planning practices in action. These two towns are particular examples of how good planning can have positive impact on a downtown area. Over the past twenty years, each town has redefined itself through various public and private partnerships.

Chattanooga was the industrial center of the Southeast in the early seventies. The city was considered one of the most polluted cities in the United States. Large grants from the Lyndhurst Foundation have funded numerous non-profit groups throughout the years, each one with specific civic improvement goals.

One example of a public and private partnership is the creation of a walking bridge that connects the downtown. Chattanooga’s downtown is split by the Tennessee River; the Walnut Street Bridge, one of two existing bridges in the early 1990s, was slated for destruction. The River City Company proposed taking the 10 million dollars slated for its destruction and using it for a redeveloped walking bridge. Opened in 1993, the Walnut Street Bridge connects the two shores of downtown. The bridge connects an art museum on one side to Coolidge Park, a public green space on the river’s far shore. The downtown also added a freshwater aquarium, movie theater and downtown ballpark. The culture of redevelopment has made preservation popular in Chattanooga.

The small group from Auburn spent much of their time walking around the downtown district and meeting with the leaders who made these projects happen. John Coddington of the River City Company hosted the students and discussed how sustainability and community were the most important issues facing the private and public development company. The River City Company’s latest project is the building of the first LEED certified movie theater in the country. The eco-friendly design focuses on other uses for the space after its first life as a movie theatre.

The second leg of the trip was spent in Greenville, SC. While not as industrial as Chattanooga, its core was hurt just as badly by white-flight in the 1960s. The downtown area became a haven for crime as businesses left. The city of Greenville reclaimed their downtown in the 1980s, mostly by controlling traffic and promoting commercial development. Major traffic was cut from four lanes to two lanes, and trees were planted to promote a walkable downtown.

A hotel, performing arts center and baseball stadium were built and spaced about a mile apart in the downtown. The idea is that these new spaces will promote development around each respective area, ultimately connecting each node together. Strict code enforcement ensures that the downtown has a cohesive feel.

Greenville also promotes public events happening in their downtown. There are over 350 events a year in downtown Greenville, giving everyone a reason to come and spend time and money in the city core. Free concerts, art shows and plays are just a few things available to the people of Greenville.

While not the typical spring break, the two-day trip gave each student a look at proactive planning in practice.

- Stephen Stock