Creative Communities-Taking it to the Streets: Preserving History in Public

Join us for an engaging workshop that explores how preservation, remembrance, and historical acknowledgment contribute to creative placemaking and community development. Through case studies, real-world examples, and interactive learning experiences, participants will discover how community history, cultural assets, and public engagement can inform and inspire impactful civic projects while successfully navigating municipal systems.
The session will be led by Renee Kemp-Rotan, CEO of studiorotan, urban designer, and master planner. A nationally recognized leader in architecture, planning, and civic design, Kemp-Rotan has advised fifteen mayors across Washington, D.C., New York City, Atlanta, and Birmingham, and has played a key role in shaping major public projects, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail, Railroad Park, CrossPlex, and SPARK@Sloss Arts Tech Hub. Through her experiences, participants will gain valuable perspectives on how creative practitioners, preservationists, and community leaders can advance impactful cultural projects within municipal systems while honoring the histories and communities they serve.

RENEE KEMP-ROTAN, CEO studiorotan, Urban Designer, Master planner; 1st African American female to graduate Syracuse University, B. Architecture/cum laude; attended Architectural Association, London, RIBA II; graduated Columbia University, MS Urban/Regional Planning; will be discussing her non-traditional career in the field of Architecture & Planning, she will walk through the audience through some of her  greatest achievements and contributions to the field: from her lectures at The National Museum African American History Culture, Sorbonne, Cairo University, MIT, Harvard, Cooper Hewitt, Howard, FAMU, New School of Social Research: Parsons School of Design, Georgia Tech-- to her service to ten mayors as urban policy/designer advisor: DC, NYC and Atlanta including master planned communities for the 1996 Olympics as Director of Economic Development and Chief of Urban Design and Development of Atlanta—then on  to her most recent service to 5 Birmingham Mayors to found and direct the City’s Grants Division; The Railroad Reservation Park, The Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail, Crossplex , and NEA funded SPARK@Sloss Arts Tech Hub for Millennials and the Underserved with Creative Director of Cirque du Soliel as Partner .  Her works as Urban Designer/Master Planner are included in The African American National Biography, editor Dr. Henry Louis Gates; Harvard University, WEB DuBose Center and Oxford University, African American Research Center. Kemp-Rotan, served as Professional Competition to The Africatown International Design Idea Competition, Mobile Alabama where she recently designed and constructed the new Africatown Hall and Food Bank. Studiorotan is a civic design and engagement firm that recently completed The Black Arts District Masterplan, aka The B.A.D. Plan, for Ensley/Birmingham and the Orangeburg Heritage Trail Design in South Carolina. The Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation has hired her as their new Chief Strategic Planning Consultant and as Designer of the Africatown Cultural Heritage Trail funded by Mastercard Corporation.