Rural communities eligible for design grants

The Citizens Institute on Rural Design is accepting applications for a new round of funding. CIRD helps communities with populations of 50,000 or less that are facing design challenges, such as Main Street revitalization, designing community-supportive transportation, preserving natural and historic landscapes and buildings, protecting working agricultural lands, and providing adequate and affordable housing.

CIRD offers annual competitive funding to as many as four small towns to host community design workshops that link local leaders with teams of design, planning and creative placemaking experts. Selected communities will receive $7,000 to support the planning and hosting for a multi-day design workshop, and CIRD will work with the communities to assemble teams of specialists most qualified to address the communities’ identified design challenges.

Find more information and the application online. The application deadline for 2014 awards is May 6.

CIRD, a design initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Project for Public Spaces, the Orton Family Foundation and the CommunityMatters Partnership.

Via: Citizens Institute on Rural Design