By Jess Zimbabwe, MICD Director
November 11, 2008

The Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) hosted a regional session in partnership with the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University September 21-23. Hosted by MICD Alumnus Meridian (MS) Mayor John Robert Smith, the session brought together leaders from six cities in the Southeast to discuss urban design challenges facing their downtowns. The Institute began with a trolley bus tour of a HOPE IV housing development in Meridian. Smith noted how the attention paid to design in the project helped offer dignity to the residents who are living there.

During the working meetings of the session, four mayors presented challenges facing their cities: Pelahatchie (MS) Mayor Knox Ross; Fulton (MS) Mayor Paul Walker, Batesville (MS) Mayor Jerry Autrey; and Morristown (TN) Mayor Barbara “Sami” Barille. The mayors discussed issues such as location of downtown parks, strategies for attracting restaurants and other downtown amenities, and land use questions.

Several mayors raised questions about existing or proposed freeway bypasses in their communities. Cari Varner and John Poros of the Carl Small Town Center presented their research on Mississippi’s experience with freeway bypasses, and work they are undertaking to improve land uses in cities across the state.

Finally, Smith presented new plans for a broad urban design vision for downtown Meridian. After seeing many of Meridian’s assets through walking tours, the designers and mayors gathered offered input on the plans, but most heartily endorsed Smith’s broad leadership and deep understanding of the value of investment in the public realm of a city.

The mayors were joined by a resource team of seven national experts. Besides Poros and Varner, the team consisted of Carlton Brown from Full Spectrum Development in New York City, Jereiah Dumas of the Landscape Architecture Department at Mississippi State University, Yann Taylor of Field Paoli in San Francisco, Eric Fang of Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects in New York City, and Michelle Weaver Jones of the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. Also participating in the session were U.S. Conference of Mayors Staff Tom McClimon and Kay Scrimger, National Endowment for the Arts Design Director Maurice Cox, MICD Director Jess Zimbabwe, and Maureen Lofton from Meridian Mayor’s Office.