Texas A&M University
EN-9: Community Partnerships

Texas A&M and its many planning partners began working on the US Department of Education International Education Week back in 2005. Over the next 2 years, the events of International Education Week have expanded to the first Brazos Valley Worldfest on November 17, 2007. Brazos Valley Worldfest celebrates international awareness by offering cultural displays, demonstrations, international cuisine, performances, children's crafts, educational competitions and many other activities, such as promoting sustainability through tables by Utilities and Management. This event is free and open to the public. TAMU Utilities and Energy Services has partnered with the Brazos Valley Earth Day Committee to host Brazos Valley Earth Day each year through 2014, which is a free event open to the public that features: live music, environmental/sustainability education displays, and demonstrations.

a) Every year Texas A&M holds the Big Event. The Big Event is the largest, one-day, student-run service project in the nation where students of Texas A&M University come together to say "Thank You" to the residents of Bryan and College Station. For the past 31 years Aggie students have participated in this annual event to show their appreciation to the surrounding community by completing service projects such as yard work, window washing, and painting for community members. b) Social and economic sustainability are both addressed through The Big Event. Students provide service to the community in the form of their time and labor which helps build positive local relationships. Community members are able to complete projects they may not have the financial ability to complete. c) The Big Event is a sponsored Texas A&M student organization. The institution supports The Big Event financially and by providing staff support. d) Community members are encouraged to request jobs to be performed at their homes every January.

The Texas Target Communities program's (TTC) mission is to provide training, tools, and assistance necessary to facilitate the transformation of communities from high risk/low opportunity to equitable, resilient, and adaptive, by mitigating the threats to the economy, environment, and culture. TTC partners works with faculty and staff at Texas A&M to incorporate community needs as real projects into academic course curriculum. TTC strives to work with communities across Texas, and are mindful to engage the communities in our own backyard. From Fall 2012-Spring of 2014, TTC partnered with the city of Navasota, a small community 20 miles south of College Station. Through community engagement approaches, faculty and students were able to develop a full comprehensive plan. This plan focused on sustainability principles and providing policy recommendations for future growth. An alternative transportation plan was also developed, focusing on pedestrian and bicycle facilities and the connections across the community. Another course worked with the historic African-American school to provide a tactical urbanism event, to bring awareness to this cultural gem and provide an opportunity for dialogue to bridge a once racially-divided community. In the spring of 2014, TTC partnered with the city of Bryan to provide a parking study for an area experiencing infill and redevelopment. Students and faculty mapped areas of demand and proposed solutions that included, more alternative transportation options, such as, bike lanes, pedestrian facilities, public transit, and other smart growth tactics. In the spring of 2014, TTC also partnered with the city of College Station to develop a full low-income housing needs assessment. The faculty and students worked with community members and city staff to gather and analyze data and provide recommendations for affordable housing over the next 20 years. These experiences have formed trusting and positive relationships with surrounding communities and the university. We strive to continue these relationships to serve our community as they teach and inform us of local concerns. This synergistic feedback loop is the transformative partnership we seek in all our collaborations with communities. TTC partner communities target six core areas key to building community capacity. 1. Social - Strengthen the community fabric 2. Economic - Foster strategic and equitable growth 3. Natural - Preserve and restore the integrity of environmental systems 4. Civic - Encourage participatory and collaborative governance 5. Human - Nurture the capacity of people 6. Physical/Built - Promote informed development decisions

Sixty-five College of Architecture academic courses have been involved since 1980, with approximately 2,500 person-hours of work per course. On average, this involves 1.3 faculty and 16.3 students per course. TTC partners with communities throughout Texas.The following is a list of past non-local partners and projects: 1980- Crockett, Parts 1 and 2 of the Crockett Planning Information Document 1980- Round Rock, Downtown Study of Round Rock 1984- San Antonio, Leon Creek Study 1988- Temple Comprehensive Plan 1989- Madisonville Comprehensive Plan 1995- Hidalgo Comprehensive Plan 1996- Giddings, Horizon 2010: A Plan for Giddings 1997- Silsbee, Comprehensive Plan 2020 1998- Nacogdoches, Heritage Development Plan 1998- La Grange, Comprehensive Plan 2020 1999- Lakeway, Comprehensive Plan 2000- Somerville, Vision 2020 Plan, State of the City Report, Conceptual Designs 2001- Lorena Comprehensive Plan 2002- Portland, Sherwin Alumina Land Plan Studio 2003- Palacios Urban Design Plan 2005- Brazoria Master Plan Development 2006- Castle Hills, State of the Community and Recommendations 2007-2009- Beaumont, Northend Community Revitalization 2008- San Saba, Urban Development Plan “We continually reference the Aggies plan. Such great work!” -Tony Guidroz, San Saba Economic Development and Tourism Director 2009- Cuero, Development Plan 2010- Sealy, Downtown Revitalization Plan “I was very impressed with the A&M graduate class. I am proud to say that we are implementing their plan and in a very short time we have accomplished several of their recommendations.” -Mayor Nick Tirey, City of Sealy Downtown Revitalization Plan: http://www.ci.sealy.tx.us/forms_docs/comm_dev/dtrevitalization.pdf Announcement of TX APA Award and officials explain the implementation of the plan: http://www.ci.sealy.tx.us/whats_new/TAMUsealydowntownaward.pdf 2010- Castroville 2011- Richwood, Comprehensive Plan 2011- Troy, Comprehensive Plan 2012- Brownwood, Comprehensive Plan 2013- Gonzales Comprehensive Plan “The money spent on the plan was the best money we have spent since I started as city manager” -Allen Barnes, City Manager of Gonzales, 830-672-2815 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31996309/B_Gonzales%20Comp%20Plan%20Poster.pdf https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31996309/B_Gonzales%20Comprehensive%20Plan.pdf