by Kelly Vormelker

I began working with Waters Avenue this past fall through a contextual research class at the Savannah College of Art and Design that was set to engage with and learn from the Waters Avenue community. Each student came into the class with assumptions and prejudices regarding what the neighborhood would hold. Some had never stepped foot on Waters Avenue, others used it simply as a thoroughfare and some knew parts of the corridor intimately. Personally, I had only casually passed through the neighborhood. I knew nothing of the character, struggle, people, blight and beauty that would soon reveal itself.

“It’s the most colorful neighborhood I’ve ever lived in, and I lived in the backwoods of West Virginia,” —Amy Drew, Owner, Ms. Amy’s School of Music

As the class began the task of immersing itself in the neighborhood, the tendencies and eccentricities of the residents and of the physical space came to light.

“Waters Avenue is, to me, a lightening rod of progressive development, of mixed use.” —Ramsey Khalidi, Owner, Southern Pine Co.

We conducted interviews with residents and business owners; we interacted with the community and we walked the streets. Our assumptions were slowly stripped away as we explored the community. The class ended with a collective sense of admiration of and investment in the colorful people and in the vibrant spirit of the community.

An understanding of the long-standing struggle that residents have faced while trying to protect their space became clear through our research. However, we have only begun to understand the spirit of the community and the motivations of its residents. Even so, I identified a couple of opportunities in an insight paper at the end of the class…

There is an opportunity to amplify the resident enthusiasm and direct it towards positive change.

There is an opportunity to inspire those residents in doubt and involve them in the effort.

There is an opportunity to empower and unite community members to work toward positive change.

This quarter, in a Design Management/Design for Sustainability class focused on growing community engagement on Waters Avenue, I hope to pursue some of these opportunities. I also hope to further absorb the spirit of Waters Avenue.

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Kelly Vormelker is a graduate student in the Design for Sustainability program.