Warner Robins, GA - The city of Warner Robins has successfully completed the Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative (GEPC), a two-year program designed to help cities strengthen downtowns and neighborhood centers through community-driven placemaking strategies.
City of Warner Robins is one of four Georgia communities to graduate from the program this year and will be formally recognized during the 2026 Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) Annual Convention in Savannah.
The Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative provides cities with training, technical assistance and peer networking opportunities to help communities identify and activate their unique assets. Through the program, participating cities build local placemaking teams and develop projects that enhance public spaces, promote economic vitality and foster community pride.
During its participation in the program, City of Warner Robins focused on economic placemaking in the Downtown Development District.
Key accomplishments from the program include:
Electric Vehicle Chargers along South Armed Forces: The Chargers on South Armed Forces help support the lunchtime traffic for small businesses from Robins Air Force Base. The income generated from these chargers will be leveraged for future investment into placemaking efforts.
Wings at Commercial Circle: The Wings at Commercial Circle transforms an underutilized space into an active public space utilizing the talents of local welding students.
Downtown Rendering Signs: A community engagement effort that allowed residents to voice feedback and helped City leaders understand the downtown the community needs.
Downtown Placemaking Master Plan: The Downtown Placemaking Master Plan was developed during the program based on community input and refined using strategies learned, guided by expert feedback, to inform and guide future placemaking improvements.
Adopt-A-Box: The Adopt-A-Box Program was created to transform ordinary traffic boxes into vibrant enhancements that add color and life to the streets.
“The Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative was a wonderful program that helped the City consider lighter, quicker, cheaper activation of our public spaces as we await broader redevelopment in Commercial Circle,” said Mayor LaRhonda W. Patrick.
The GEPC emphasizes collaboration among local stakeholders, business leaders, municipal officials and community organizations. Participating cities also have access to the Placemaking Grant Program, which supports creative, community-led projects that activate public spaces and encourage economic activity.
“Each of these communities brought creativity, commitment and strong local leadership to the placemaking process,” said Tara Bradshaw, leader of the Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative. “These cities have demonstrated how intentional placemaking can strengthen local economies, build community pride and create places where people want to live, work and gather.”
The Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative is made possible through partnerships with Georgia Power, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Georgia Tech Center for Economic Development Research, Electric Cities of Georgia, Georgia Conservancy and GeorgiaForward.
About the Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative (GEPC): The Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative is a signature program of the Georgia Cities Foundation. Managed by the Georgia Municipal Association, the program provides cities with training, technical assistance, and peer learning opportunities to advance place-based economic development strategies. Through the Placemaking Grant Program, cities can implement creative, community-led projects that build momentum and activate public spaces.
About the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA): Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and consulting services to all of Georgia’s 536 cities. GMA anticipates and influences the forces shaping Georgia’s cities and to provide leadership, tools, and services that assist municipal governments in becoming more innovative, effective, and responsive. Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. For more information, visit www.gacities.com.