City of Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Revitalization initiatives and implementation strategies for a working-class residential neighborhood adjacent to the historic downtown.
Recognition:
American Planning Association, Georgia Chapter—2007 Outstanding Implementation Plan Award
Strategy:
- Create a cohesive “community of choice” for both current and new residents, with housing options, community-focused open space, and pedestrian-friendly streets, while assuring that long-time residents are not pushed out by redevelopment.
- Create a plan that can serve as a template for revitalization of similar neighborhoods nearby.
Project Highlights:
- Over several decades, the 193-acre West Savannah district had struggled with disinvestment and population loss, rising unemployment, deterioration of its housing stock, and a steep decline in retail activity.
- In collaboration with a committee of stakeholders—including residents, business owners, and city and county officials—Goody Clancy developed a plan to guide development that builds on the community’s physical and cultural assets.
- Objectives include introducing 370 mixed-income housing homes in a wide range of configurations on 26 acres owned by Savannah's housing authority; strategically rehabilitating 230 existing homes in concert with infrastructure improvements (such as parks and enhanced streetscapes) to maximize benefits to the entire neighborhood; provisions for the creation of a community park and a new police substation; and rehabilitation of an elementary school.
"I am most excited about the comprehensive manner in which physical, economic, and social planning are merged in the West Savannah Revitalization Plan…. With the talents, time and resources supporting the plan, I and the community feel our high expectations will be realized."
Otis S. Johnson, Ph.D., Mayor of the City of Savannah