Birmingham City Council approves $700K for urban village planning

The Birmingham City Council has approved nearly $700,000 to fund planning efforts for the Urban Villages Initiative, a long-term project aimed at revitalizing 12 neighborhood business districts. The initiative seeks to create vibrant, walkable community centers that offer local businesses, services, transportation, and public gathering spaces, reducing the necessity for residents to drive for everyday tasks.

The funding will be distributed among three consulting firms: Interface Studio (up to $299,980), TSW (up to $299,575), and Wilbron (up to $99,600) for community engagement and project narratives. These contracts will support eight specific areas, including Five Points West, East Lake, Eastwood, Ensley, Five Points South, Titusville, Lawson State, and North Birmingham.

Four locations—Huffman, Woodlawn, Northwest Downtown, and Smithfield—are already further along in the process or have existing plans. The total investment for the initiative is part of a $2 million allocation from the city’s budget surplus. The resulting recommendations may include improvements to sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.