YTA Webinar Series
This webinar series aims to help small and rural communities harness their unique assets, foster economic growth, and enhance quality of life through asset-based design. Featuring experts on economic development, sustainable design, historic preservation, and more, each session provides practical strategies and insights. The series is a collaboration between Your Town Alabama and the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery. Watch now for engaging conversations highlighting successful initiatives and offering guidance on similar projects in your community.
Place Matters
April 2022
Why what we build, where we build and how we build shows what we value. Cheryl Morgan, one of Your Town Alabama’s founders and longtime supporters, leads a wonderful conversation about Place. She engages our understanding of the places we create for our communities, discussing what we build, why we build it, and how it reflects our values.
Design Alabama
March 2022
Design Alabama advocates for the collaboration of the design arts and their importance in creating and enhancing places in Alabama. Executive Director Gina Clifford discusses the opportunities and programs provided by Design Alabama and how to engage with the organization. Design Alabama has helped many cities and towns across the state develop actionable plans through creative design and community engagement.
Recreation Trails
March 2022
Recreational trails bring numerous benefits to communities, including economic development. Brian Rushing from The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development shares his expertise on recreational trails and how they can spur economic growth. Brian highlights examples across the state and provides insight into planning trails and building these valuable community assets.
Main Street Alabama
December 2021
Downtowns are the beating heart of communities. Main Street Alabama is part of a national program supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, providing a structured process for towns to revitalize their downtowns. Mary Helmer Wirth, President & State Coordinator of Main Street Alabama, discusses the program’s history and its significant impact on Alabama. She shares success stories, offers tips for getting started, and explains how to bring Main Street initiatives to local communities.
Certified Local Government Program & the Alabama Rehabilitation Tax Credit
October 2021
The Alabama Historical Commission, one of YTA’s founding organizations, discusses two key programs that support Alabama’s small towns: the Certified Local Government Program and the Alabama Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Hannah Garmon and Paige Thomas explain how small towns can use these programs to support long-term planning and preservation of unique, character-defining historic downtowns. hey also discuss how the tax credit program incentivizes developers to renovate and restore historic buildings.
RC&D: Funding Opportunities for Your Community
October 2021
Alabama’s nine Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&D) support all 67 counties. Each council offers funding opportunities to local municipalities and organizations to help them chase big ideas for local development and outdoor recreation. Katie Conner, Executive Director of the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils, highlights these opportunities and discusses the goals of local RC&Ds. She also highlights several projects that were successful with help from the RC&Ds.
Community & Economic Development
August 2021
Jim Byard, Principal of Byard Associates, LLC, explores the intricacies of Community and Economic Development. As a former Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and former Mayor of the City of Prattville, Jim discusses the shift in economic development from transactional to transformational. He provides real-world examples and strategies to jump-start and manage plans and projects in towns.
Municipal Planning in Alabama
August 2021
Successful businesses plan ahead, and so should cities and towns. Jason Fondren, Principal Planner with KPS Group, leads us through the municipal planning process. He demonstrates how to navigate zoning commissions and city ordinances while implementing useful design principles and creative placemaking. Jason provides professional insights from his day-to-day experience to tackle planning challenges.
Sustainable Design
August 2021
Investing in sustainable design conserves a community’s natural resources and enhances quality of life. Landscape architect and long-time YTA board member Lee Anne McNally shares insights on sustainable design. Lee Anne offers tips and techniques for implementing sustainable strategies in communities, drawing from her professional work and experience.