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When the city of Carrollton needed a master plan to guide the future of its downtown, local leaders turned to the University of Georgia for help.

“Carrollton has a small-town feel, but we’ve also got a lot of big amenities that aren’t usually found in towns our size,” said Carrollton Community Development Director Erica Studdard. “We’ve already accomplished a lot, but we wanted a clear direction for the future. When you’ve got something good going, how do you build on that?”

Carrollton’s leaders reached out to the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government about the Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning (RSVP) program. RSVP is a partnership between the Institute of Government, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Georgia Cities Foundation. Since 2013, the program has helped 25 communities across Georgia re-envision their downtowns, invigorate citizen involvement and jump-start economic development.

From dedicated city staff and elected officials to strong employers and schools, and from a historic square with local businesses to plenty of parks, Carrollton has a lot to offer. Danny Bivins, UGA Institute of Government faculty member and lead for the RSVP program, said the city has spent decades building a community its residents love.

“In Carrollton, they have this amazing place they’ve been working on and things that they love,” Bivins said. “The RSVP process focused on better connectivity and how to move people around. The top issues came through community input, and then our job was to listen and work with a steering committee to develop what works.”

Bivins and others from the institute gathered public input through surveys—for both the RSVP and an already in-progress comprehensive plan update—and in-person meetings. The team worked with local stakeholders to identify issues and solutions. The final plan was presented at a packed town hall meeting this spring and adopted by the Carrollton City Council soon after.

“The Institute of Government team really took an interest in our city. They walked our downtown, they talked to people, and they knew without a doubt what we wanted and needed,” said Carrollton City Manager David Brooks.

Carrollton’s work with UGA resulted in a plan full of ideas the city can use to address traffic configuration, downtown parking, walkability, parks and greenspace, mixed-use infill development and the desire for more things to do downtown. The plan includes ideas ranging from lower cost action items that could be implemented quickly to more complex concepts requiring more planning and funding.

Wayfinding signage that incorporates the city’s branding to direct visitors to downtown parking is one example of an impactful yet inexpensive idea. Another is a new parklet on Bradley Street near the Amp, downtown Carrollton’s outdoor entertainment hub. The Carrollton team liked the idea so much that the parklet was installed before the RSVP process was even complete.

“It’s been nothing but compliments,” Brooks said.

The RSVP includes designs for pedestrian improvements, like wider sidewalks, updated streetscapes and redesigned crosswalks and intersections, in historic Adamson Square and throughout downtown.

Suggestions for the city’s greenspaces and parks include enhancing underused areas and adding interactive components. These designs would both beautify the area and encourage more activities downtown, which could in turn attract more businesses geared toward entertainment—one of the top issues identified in the RSVP process. Designs include updated statement lighting and a splash pad at the Amp and even a whimsical slide from the top of a parking deck.

To address the need for more housing and retail options, the plan details concept designs for mixed-use infill development, including a project on city-owned land at the corner of U.S. 27 and Alabama Street, a gateway to downtown. Studdard said the city started working on the project before the RSVP, buying parcels and establishing a tax allocation district to incentivize development. The city issued a request for proposals last fall, and one of the submitted proposals is remarkably like the design in the RSVP. Studdard said audience members grew excited when talk turned to the project at the final RSVP town hall meeting.

“The gasps really came when Danny presented the design, and our city manager showed what we had just received as a submittal,” Studdard recalled. “Most people see pictures like that and think it’s never going to happen, but we were like, ‘Yep, this is happening. Here it is.’ ”

Brooks said staff have started planning how the city can implement the ideas generated by working with UGA, from setting timelines to exploring funding.

“We’ve already started prioritizing,” Brooks said. “We’re looking at what we can do, when we can do it, and how we’re going to attack it.”

Brian Dill, president and CEO of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow, said the plan produced by UGA is an important tool the chamber can use as it markets Carrollton as an attractive location for new businesses.

“When you’ve got a prospective company trying to decide between your community and other communities, the differentiator, in my opinion, is the road map. We have a good story, but the RSVP gives us a tangible road map to tell prospective companies what we’re doing in our community and that we want them to be a part of it,” Dill said.