STARKVILLE, Miss.—The CSTC’s Leah Kemp and Thomas Gregory have been invited to speak at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference in San Francisco this April. Their presentation, “Cultural Planning in the Mississippi Delta,” will highlight the CSTC’s “Marking the Mule” project in Marks, Mississippi.
The Marking the Mule project consisted of a 12-month integrated planning process that engaged local Marks residents, along with historians, architects, planners, and state tourism and historic preservation officials to create a vision for a cultural trail and interpretive center focused on the events surrounding the Mule Train.
The planning process included historical research and documentation, community engagement and participation, a multi-day design charrette, design development and community feedback, and execution of a welcome sign and plans for an interpretive center and cultural trail.
The Marking the Mule project was selected for the Mississippi Chapter of the American Planning Association’s 2017 Public Outreach Award. The project also received an AIA Design Award from the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
carlsmalltowncenter.org 