How DesignAlabama's Collaborative Spirit Transforms Communities

DesignAlabama, a nonprofit founded in 1987 by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, champions the power of design to shape vibrant communities across the state. Collaboration is at the heart of DesignAlabama's mission, recognizing that the best ideas emerge when diverse voices unite. By partnering with fellow nonprofits, civic leaders, architects, designers, and citizens they've created a powerful network dedicated to enhancing Alabama's landscape.

For nonprofits, collaboration isn't just about sharing resources — it's about amplifying impact. DesignAlabama and its partners are living proof of this philosophy. By pooling their expertise and passion, they're creating more opportunities for Alabamians to experience the transformative power of placemaking firsthand.

DesignAlabama has identified several nonprofit organizations in the state that make excellent consistent collaborative partners. These organizations include Your Town Alabama, Main Street Alabama, and Alabama Communities of Excellence. Each of these organizations addresses the topics of placemaking, community planning, community engagement, and good design. While DesignAlabama partners with many more than worth the effort it takes to plan events with multiple organizations.

Together, these organizations have spread a powerful message: thriving communities don't happen by accident. They're the result of teamwork, dedication, and the shared vision of residents, leaders, and designers.

In April 2024, DesignAlabama joined forces with CAWACO Resource, Conservation and Development Council, the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery, and others to support the annual Your Town Alabama workshop. The groups participated in a panel as part of the opening day's proceedings. The panel helped to acquaint participants with asset-based design, as well as to help them become aware of the many resources available for their communities throughout the state. Members of each group then helped to facilitate the Your Town Alabama teams as they went through the 2 1/2 day workshop, which teaches citizens and civic leaders to utilize asset-based design to enhance and solve issues within heir communities.

Just a month later, DesignAlabama, Your Town Alabama, and Alabama Communities of Excellence partnered with Main Street Alabama to showcase the importance of collaboration at the Main Street Now conference. Through engaging discussion, they highlighted the difference between cooperation and true collaboration, inspiring others to forge meaningful partnerships. DesignAlabama was then part of a second session that highlighted the collaboration of the organization with leaders of Camden, Alabama and Auburn University's Urban Studio students through Camden's utilization of DesignAlabama's various programs.

In an effort to utilize the power of collaboration to solve an ingoing issue that affects our entire state, DesignAlabama partners with Main Street Alabama, Your Town Alabama, and Alabama Communities of Excellence to put on a yearly event that addresses the housing crisis. This event, titled Community Seeds, relies on each organization lending their expertise to create panels that discuss how to create quality housing options in our state, how to get these projects to work financially, and to stay on theme, who communities can look to for those partnerships that make things happen.

This year's Community Seeds event was held in beautiful downtown Prattville, Alabama. Each organization involved emphasizes the importance of local business and local investment, so it only made sense to hold this workshop at a locally-owned restaurant. KimberLia's provided a great setting for the day's discussions, as well as plenty of food to keep attendees engaged. Attendees were given the opportunity to learn about and discuss different types of affordable and attainable housing, how zoning and building codes play into the process, how to identify and work with community partners, how housing plays into economic development, and what affordability truly means in someone's everyday life. There was also ample networking opportunity, facilitated through an afternoon ice cream break as well as an evening reception after the workshop. This reception was held at The Mill apartments, an example of how adaptive reuse of a vacant historic building can help provide housing units for growing communities. What was previously a complex of manufactory buildings now houses over 100 rental units within walking distance of downtown.

DesignAlabama's commitment to collaboration extends beyond these examples. Since its inception, the organization has tirelessly fostered partnerships across the state, empowering communities to create their own collaborative initiatives.

Together, these organizations are building a brighter future for Alabama – one where design, collaboration, and community spirit converge to create places where people truly want to live.