Designing Local Selected to Lead Public Art Master Plan
Renew Moline is pleased to announce that the Columbus, Ohio-based planning firm Designing Local has been selected to lead development of a public art master plan. In cooperation with the City of Moline, Renew Moline established a Steering Committee of business and community leaders passionate about the value of public art in the community. The committee conducted interviews, ultimately recommending Designing Local. Committee member Lori Roderick said, “I like that they identify, promote and implement specific, appropriate, fun, education and fact-finding activities and don’t rely on boilerplate interactions.” This approach is important in engaging the community in the development of Moline’s first public art master plan. The project was funded by the Moline Foundation.
The Downtown Public Art Master Plan will be developed in a public, transparent and collaborative process and will apply to the Moline Centre Plan area and select “special areas” in adjacent neighborhoods. Designing Local will engage the public in the planning process over a period of several months. The final product will be a detailed and illustrative document to be considered for adoption by the Moline City Council. This document will generally:
- Define and describe public art, to educate and inform the public about the role of art in community building;
- Inventory existing public art assets and features; and
- Establish and promote a clear vision for public art that aligns with the City’s economic development and urban design goals.
Amanda Golden, Designing Local’s Managing Principal, is a Certified Creative Placemaker and the Assistant Director of the Central Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association. She has extensive experience in extracting the beloved local stories and values people care about in every community. She said, “I have an insatiable curiosity for helping citizens visually define their local culture utilizing my urban planning, research, and public participation background. As a writer, graphic designer, and a plan publisher, my joy is putting my skills to work for places that want to stand out from the rest and I am so excited to be able to lead this process.”
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About Designing Local Designing Local believes that when taking the time to plan and design your community, the goal should be to make it extraordinary. This is achieved by exploiting locally-remarkable cultural, historic, and aspirational designs and economic development ideas to create inspired plans and projects of every kind. The Designing Local team is passionate about creating revered, competitive places that people and businesses naturally want to be a part of.
