At their meeting Nov. 12, the Tyler City Council accepted a Citation of Honor from local architect Mike Butler on behalf of the Texas Society of Architects and the American Institute of Architects for the Tyler 21 Comprehensive Plan completed in Nov. 2007. The nomination was sponsored by the Northeast Texas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The award had been presented to representatives from Tyler at a luncheon held Oct. 25 in Ft. Worth.
The Citation of Honor recognizes contributions to the architectural profession and the quality of the built environment. Projects selected typically benefit a large number of people, add to the cultural awareness of a region and are sustainable into the future.
Past recipients of the award have typically been affiliated with in major metropolitan areas. Recent honorees have included the Trinity Commons Foundation in Dallas for its work promoting and developing the Trinity River improvements; Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas; and the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in Austin.
“It is unusual for a smaller community to receive this Citation,” said Mayor Barbara Bass. “We are very proud that the Texas Society of Architects has recognized the entire community’s efforts in developing a plan that is truly Tyler’s vision for the future.”
Tyler 21 Plan Background
Tyler has experienced tremendous growth. Development has pushed the City limits to the south, moving away from the downtown and older areas of the community. Tyler’s growth has raised questions of long-term planning for water, landfills, neighborhood preservation, downtown revitalization, traffic, and many other issues facing a growing community.
To address this need, the City launched a comprehensive 18-month planning process that ultimately defined consensus goals for an ideal future for Tyler. Comprehensive plans are not uncommon - So what differentiates the Tyler 21 Plan from others? First and foremost, the Tyler 21 planning process was uniquely citizen-driven.
More than 1,000 citizens (in a community of 100,000) directly participated in the development of the Tyler 21 Plan, and a scientific survey of 5,000 additional residents was used to identify community priorities. Not only did citizens provide invaluable input that defined goals, but 21 citizens and the entire City Council comprised the Tyler 21 Steering Committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the planning process and development of the final plan.
To ensure an exhaustive representation of ideas, a myriad of tactics were employed to gather community input. Varying methods were utilized so irrespective of education, culture, socioeconomic status, or other demographic characterization, a vehicle to provide input was accessible.
The outcome of the planning process has exceeded all expectations. Because of the commitment to ensuring Tyler 21 was a citizen-driven process, the community is heavily invested in the Plan.
The final Plan has chapters dedicated to addressing the needs most identified by Tyler residents during the planning process, such as transportation, downtown redevelopment and parks. Realization of goals and action plans outlined in the Plan are coming to fruition, which continuously reinforces the Tyler 21 message: Building our future together.
To read more about the Tyler 21 Plan, please visit http://cityoftyler.org/Admin/Tabs/tabid/97/Default.aspx