Beginning of McDonough Square Revitalization Project

It is my last semester as an undergrad interior design student at UGA and I am going to spend the rest of my semester on one project. Since I am in the process of applying to the Masters of City and Regional Planning program at Georgia Tech I decided to use this project as a means of connecting my two passions.

Growing up in a relatively small suburb in the south metro Atlanta area has allowed me
to experience the energy of a busy city from a distance while relishing the slower pace of life in a one-street neighborhood. Lately, however, these lines have been blurred and the exponential growth occurring in McDonough, Georgia has brought an
exorbitant amount of traffic with streets unable to withstand this increased congestion, fused with zoning ordinances that do not take into account the rising growth in population. Combine these issues with countless amounts of conventional chain restaurants and corporate businesses, and you have a city disintegrating into historical oblivion with an ever-depleting local charm. That is not the city in which I want my children to grow up; that is not the place that I have always called home.

At the heart of the city, however, is a delightful town square desperately grasping to the prosperity of the 1990's. Teeming with potential, the McDonough Square has an inordinately high store turn-over rate coupled with poor planning for adequate parking that prevents it from being developed to its potential. Yet, it is the nucleus of the county and a picturesque unavoidability when traveling locally. A passion of mine has been to refurbish hometown squares like my own into balanced, viable commercial properties by which businesses can invest. Any town, no matter the size, needs to communicate a direct purpose with a comprehensive plan to encourage a workable business plan for the area. Creating a walk-able community flourishing with successful, local businesses and suitable housing, however, cannot occur overnight. Nevertheless, with community and government involvement, citizens, designers, planners, and politicians can come together to propose a cooperative, sustainable, and economically effective district able to adhere to the needs and functions of multiple age groups, whereby conserving its historical integrity.

Design tells a story: to create new things from old. Learning from our heritage, we can highlight the fact that everything that occurs within the universe and, therefore, in design, comes full circle. Complexity stems from simplicity, and vice versa. We can then apply these lessons to products, interiors, and even cities. With an interior design background, and an emphasis on sustainability through projects and a LEED preparation class, I have discovered a new-found focus on the importance of programming and site-analysis portions of assignments. After all, the users of architecture will always know more about buildings than the architects themselves. This notion is the foundation of architect Christopher Alexander’s novel, “A Pattern Language,” and can be directly applied to construction at its largest scale. Whether fabricating a new city or revitalizing an existing town square;whether regulating vernacular architecture or enacting classical patterns of design, the concept of timelessness must encompass every aspect. Successful design creates a sense of home for every occupant and allows them to leave their own, minute footstep in the vast expanse of our planet.