Main Street Alabama is pleased to present:

“Secrets of Good Design” presented by Joe Lawniczak, Downtown Design Specialist, Wisconsin Main Street Program

This workshop is designed for local Main Street directors, board members, volunteers, city officials, property owners, merchants, and other stakeholders within Main Street Alabama communities. At the end of the training, participants will understand typical downtown building-related design principles, as well as some public space design strategies. The workshop will include a mix of classroom-type instruction, as well as a hands-on interactive exercise in Wetumpka's Main Street district. BE SURE TO WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES AND WEATHER-APPROPRIATE CLOTHING!

Due to our tight schedule, lunch will be brought in. Please select an option on the registration form. The cost is included in the registration fee.

Agenda:

10:00 AM-11:00 AM   Façade Design Principles

11:00 AM-11:30 AM   Sign & Awnings Design Principles

11:30 AM-12:00 PM   New Infill Design Principles

12:00 PM-12:45 PM   Lunch (catered in)

12:45 PM-1:00 PM     Visual Merchandising & Vacant Storefronts

1:00 PM-1:30 PM       Alley Façades & Funky Spaces/Places

1:30 PM-3:00 PM       Outdoor Group Design Exercise (see below)

3:00 PM-3:15 PM       Upload Photos to Laptop

3:15 PM-4:30 PM       Group Presentations

4:30 PM                      Adjourn

Outdoor Group Design Exercise:

• Participants will split into groups of five people each

• Groups will walk individually through Historic District (from 1:30-3:00 PM)

• Each group will be assigned a category to study and report on

About Joe...

Joe has been the Downtown Design Specialist with Wisconsin Main Street since 2001. He works daily with building owners, businesses, city officials, and volunteers in the 35+ Main Street communities throughout Wisconsin. He provides schematic façade design assistance, advise building owners on proper restoration principles, provide preservation and design education, and help communities establish local preservation tools such as design guidelines, review, and ordinances.

He provides education to groups of all sizes as it relates to downtown development, historic preservation, sustainability, signage, etc. He has been a featured speaker for several other organizations, including Illinois Main Street, Kansas Main Street, Main Street Iowa, Minnesota Main Street, Minnesota Historical Society, Montana Main Street, South Carolina Main Street, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Joe has been actively involved with the National Main Street Center (NMSC) for years, serving on their national conference speaker selection committee as well as their sustainability leadership panel. He has been one of the key planners for the annual Main Street architects and designers meetings for many years and written several feature articles and chapters for various NMSC publications, including Main Street News, Main Street Now, and a book titled Revitalizing Main Street.