Savannah State University News March 16, 2015 Savannah State to Present Urban Planning Award Awards will be given at the March 25 conference Each year, the urban planning conference at Savannah State University (SSU) recognizes area professionals, plans and developments that have enhanced a great local community. This year, SSU will recognize an outstanding initiative that demonstrates successful integration of at least two of the three elements of this year's conference theme: collaboration, adaptation and implementation. Cohen's Retreat, an adaptive reuse of an historic Savannah structure built in 1934, will receive this year's Urban Planning Award for its outstanding contribution for adaptation and implementation of plan in the Savannah area. For more than six decades, the main facility has served as a home for elderly men. In 2012, Colleen Smith and Karen Langston, owners of Savannah Plush, Inc., began converting Cohen's Retreat into today's mixed use facility: a vibrant mosaic of retail, residential and studio space. Situated on five acres, the property comprises over 7,000 square feet of retail and studio space, 16 energy-efficient cottages for residential and commercial use, a restaurant, a design marketplace, instructional classrooms, and workshop and office space. Cohen's Retreat opened in February 2014 and serves as an excellent model for adaptive reuse in the Savannah area. The Master of Science in Urban Studies and Planning (MSUSP) program at Savannah State University (SSU) will host the annual Urban Planning Conference on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, in the student union. Sessions will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year's conference theme is Planning to Thrive: Collaboration, Adaptation and Implementation. All sessions are open to the public. All participants must register and pay the conference fees of $25 (advance online payment) or $30 (day of the conference). Savannah State University, Armstrong State University and SCAD students may attend for free with valid ID. All fees benefit students of the Urban Studies and Planning program at SSU. For a full conference schedule, list of presenters and to register online, visit http://www.savannahstate.edu/misc/urban-planning-conference/ For additional information contact Deden Rukmana, Ph.D., associate professor and coordinator of the MSUSP program, at 912-358-3218 or rukmanad@savannahstate.edu. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.