Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning (RSVP)
Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning
The Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning Process (RSVP) helps cities create a community-supported downtown vision, plan and implementation program.
The RSVP is both a master planning process and a downtown planning document that illustrates a community’s vision for the future and provides the steps to get there. Driven by a robust public input process that encourages participation of all community members, RSVPs help local governments prioritize their cities’ top issues and work to establish consensus around short- and long-term goals.
The RSVP process delivers a tangible representation of a community’s ideal future, along with a work program that helps local leaders make this community vision a reality.
Each RSVP plan is developed with a three-step planning process:
- Step I: Public input and engagement
- Step II: Visioning and design
- Step III: Implementation program
RSVP plans have been created for 25 communities since 2013. Partner communities include: Americus, Bainbridge, Brunswick, Cairo, Carrollton, Cedartown, Chickamauga, Clarkesville, Copper Basin, Cordele, Dalton, Fort Oglethorpe, Gainesville, Hawkinsville, Hinesville, Homerville, Jefferson, Jesup, LaFayette, Perry, Ringgold, St. Marys, Stockbridge, Thomson, and Villa Rica.
Sample Reports
Located approximately 50 miles west of Atlanta, Carrollton offers convenient access to big city amenities while preserving the city's small-town atmosphere and attractive rural setting. The Carrollton Renaissance Strategic Plan (RSVP) captures the vision of local citizens to help chart the course for an "altogether original downtown long into the future.
Situated at the heart of Clinch County near the world-famous Okefenokee Swamp, Homerville is a place of tradition and hometown pride. Homerville is “fit to bursting” with Southern hospitality and neighborly warmth. The Homerville Renaissance Strategic Plan (RSVP) captures the vision of hundreds of local citizens to help chart the course for a rejuvenated downtown Homerville.
Featuring many tree-lined streets with historic homes and a well-regarded local school system, LaFayette is a safe and inviting place to call home. The diverse LaFayette RSVP Steering Committee refined community priorities and helped guide development of hte final RSVP plan.
Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership
The RSVP process is the signature planning program offered by the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership, a collaboration between the UGA Institute of Government, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Georgia Cities Foundation, with additional support from the Lyndhurst Foundation. The partnership combines resources of university and municipal organizations to help community-led efforts to revitalize Georgia downtowns.
Since 2013, the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership has brought a collaborative planning approach to over 75 cities across Georgia and neighboring states.
Through program elements like the Renaissance Strategic Vision and Planning (RSVP) process, the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellowship, targeted design assistance, and collaborative studio courses with the UGA College of Environment and Design, the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership helps provide the tools for communities to realize their visions and maximize their potential.