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Originally Posted by cityscapes
Aside from the virtual downtown website and the public meeting mentioned in this Tuscaloosa News article are there any other ways for the community or students to get involved in the rebuilding process? Coming from a part of the country where businesses can only have small monument signs and must be completely shrouded in landscaping to hide the parking lot I feel like I have a lot of ideas to share.
I know a lot of the students share my views on the unsightly signs and lack of landscaping especially in the hard hit areas by the tornado. Hopefully the residents of Tuscaloosa that are there year round feel the same way and will be able to guide the city in the right direction. The disaster was terrible but long term I think it will serve as a great opportunity to improve the city.
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Fortunately, Mayor Walt Maddox has been a big proponent of city planning. The previous mayor actually tried to do away with the planning department... at least that's what my planning professor told us. Downtown has changed completely in just the last 4 years that I've been at school. Businesses are returning and the work on improving the are hasn't ceased.
As far as helping with the rebuilding and presenting ideas for it, that townhall website that ttownfeen posted is actually starting to get a lot of traffic, and is being used by the city to gauge ideas and public opinion. You might want to present an idea there.
Unfortunately, my focus has shifted more towards GIS now that I've completed my planning coursework, so I'm really not to familiar with anyone that you could speak to in the actual planning department. I think that someone on this site, however, should have an idea of what to do.
BTW, thanks for your interest!