The project pays homage to the building’s role in the community’s history.
A vacant former high school in a historic Black neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee will be transformed into a community center, library, and senior housing facility that celebrates the building’s historic roots and importance to the community.
In a profile of the project in Fast Company, Nate Berg writes, “The project is part of a $200 million bond package that’s making targeted investments in anchor areas across the city. Despite being empty and unused for more than 40 years, the Melrose School has long been seen by the community as a center and source of pride.”
The project represents “an emerging type of mixed-use development that pairs housing with contextually relevant community amenities.” As Berg explains, “Colocating housing above a library is an approach being taken in other cities, and it’s been shown to be a successful way of spurring community and social engagement.”
FULL STORY: In Memphis, a historic Black neighborhood’s centerpiece gets a new life
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions