Students from Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning are working on an immersive learning project to help residents of Upland, Ind., create a community development plan.
The group of students will create a charrette, which is a program designed to include feedback from residents and officials to create a development plan for their community. Topics discussed will include sustainability, the economy, wellness, quality of life issues and the town's interaction with neighbors, according to a press release.
The students will start working on the plan April 8 by conducting research, taking tours, talking with local leaders and meeting with the Upland Project Steering committee.
The next day, the students will conduct a meeting in which local residents can participate in focus groups that will cover some areas of the town, such as government, infrastructure and financial institutions.
That afternoon, the students will continue working on the plan, putting together concept and design sessions. The process will continue until 10 p.m.
The charrette will examine how Upland, located about 45 minutes from Muncie, interacts with its neighbors and how it can capitalize on its proximity to major crossroads such as Interstate 69 and Indiana highways 22 and 26, according to the press release.
Harry Eggink, the faculty coordinator of the event, said the project is a good way for students to work outside the classroom.
"This is a great immersive learning experience for the students," he said. "They will meet with hundreds of residents, interpret their research and create a master plan that has the potential to bring the community's dreams to life. It's an education that truly cannot be duplicated in any classroom."
The final presentations are tentatively scheduled for late April or early May at Upland Elementary School.
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