Old Town TND recognized for design
Old Town, a 360-acre traditional neighborhood development (TND), is partly built within the consolidated city and county of Columbus, Georgia, located on the Alabama border, midway between Macon, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama.
The older part of Columbus is noted for brick mill buildings and 11 historic. But the surrounding county is largely automobile-oriented, with sprawling development. Old Town is eight miles north of the historic core, inspired by the traditional towns of the American South. The Urban Guild Awards recently recognized Historical Concepts of Atlanta, the Old Town designers, for Design Excellence in Urban Design.
The core of Old Town is conceived as a main street and town green. “This denser concentration of buildings accommodates retail, restaurants, and services for the community, with offices and apartments on the upper floors,” the Guild reports. “The tree-lined streets are flanked by wide brick sidewalks and town hall (the chapel form) terminates the vista.”
Phase one of Old Town connects to existing streets and surrounding commercial development, while establishing a traditional urban fabric with a connected, walkable block-and-street pattern. A “Mill” building was designed as a community amenity with spaces for events and meetings, a kitchen, game room, movie room, cyber cafe, gym, pool, and staff offices.
