Last week I concluded my three year tenure as the first Turley Fellow in Urban Revitalization at the University of Memphis.  Working in concert with talented and dedicated people throughout the university and the city itself, we set out to improve the qualities of place in and around the university and more closely integrate university academic life with the life of the city around it.  It was an ambitious goal and one that required we all learn new things together.  Things such as:

·         the importance of a university living up to its stature as an urban anchor and acting as a community leader,

·         how even small things such as the width of a sidewalk, the location of a dumpster  or piece of public art can make the difference in whether people find a campus inviting or off-putting, and

·         how universities can partner in the creation of mixed-use development to their own and the community’s benefit.

Impacted like the nation as whole, the university and the Memphis economy are still marking time on some ambitious projects.  But important pieces have been put in place in the last three years, including:

·         a new Master of Architecture program,

·         a Tax Increment Financing District to spur development around the university,

·         a newly adopted area plan and design guidelines, plans to redo a key street along the university to an urban boulevard, and

·         the inclusion of placemaking among the top six strategic goals of the university.

Consequently, the area is poised to come out of the recession in ways that will change the face of the community for generations. 

At KCRW we approach all our work strategically, and begin most work with the creation of a strategic plan, as we did three years ago in Memphis.  A strategic foundation can help move an organization or efforts ahead even when circumstances around you change dramatically.  We believe the University and its surrounding area will be considered a national model in coming years for integrated university and urban district revitalization. And, of course, we’ll keep you posted on that!