Olanta Charrette

This week will be design week for the Mayor's Institute, which is another component of our class. This portion began last semester with the planning process for the five towns selected here in South Carolina. We compiled information to be presented at a colloquium, to start generating ideas and getting the towns prepared for deign week. The colloquium was a chance for the leadership from each towns to hear the opinions of a variety of professionals, on their situations, as well as input for the other towns. Several members of each community's team were also at the colloquium to here the initial concepts and have a chance to further develop those this week.

I'm on the team for Olanta, SC, which is in lower Florence County and is very close to my home. I feel especially invested in the area because I'm familiar with the Pee Dee region and want to see the area thrive. During the class this semester, we've talked about the rural areas of South Carolina and how specific and important their character is. As we watched "Corridor of Shame," we discussed that if the education system is not strengthened, it could mean that the areas are weakened and that the cultures have less of a chance of surviving. With the community planning involved with the Mayor's Institute, we try to address many issues, including education, as well as economics, marketing, and design. It will be a combination of many components that result in a sound community plan. Realistically, a comprehensive plan will not be reached in a day long charrette, but as with Denmark, it's important to give Olanta a starting point, so that they can visualize what's possible and begin to generate strategies to move forward.

The component of our "Design Day" that I think will be most beneficial to Olanta is the portion of the day that will be a collaboration with Johnsonville, which is a neighboring community that has been through the Mayor's Institute. I think the Olanta leadership will benefit most from having neighbors that can offer suggestions and help them prepare for the process that they'll need to go through to reach real solutions.