Design-Preservation Rapid Assistance Teams (D-PRAT)
D-PRAT Virtual + Ground Team Needed for the City of Colusa, CA
The Urban Design and Preservation Division of the APA is pleased to announce that the City of Colusa, California has been selected as our 2025 D-PRAT community. We're seeking UDP member volunteers to support both our virtual and on-the-ground teams! Application deadline extended to August 29.
We are preparing to launch our 5th D-PRAT program this fall, working with the community of Colusa, CA, to help them develop a visionary yet actionable design framework for the revitalization of its Historic Downtown and Riverfront District, with a strong emphasis on historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and community-oriented public space.
We are looking for technical expertise to help the City develop a cohesive urban design strategy that supports the revitalization of the Riverfront District and Historic Downtown. Focus areas include improving walkability and complete streets along Main Street and Market Street; enhancing public space and connectivity between key corridors; identifying opportunities for historic preservation and adaptive reuse; and reimagining alleyways and connector routes as active,community-oriented spaces. The project will also explore strategies to strengthen the local identity, support after-hours activity, and encourage reinvestment in legacy structures and culturally significant sites such as Chinatown and the city-operated State Park entrance.
We are seeking urban design, preservation, landscape architecture, and transportation professionals and students to form three teams, that once assembled, will finalize project goals and phases in partnership with the host community and contribute content to an “idea book”.
Please note that for the ground team, we are looking for experienced urban designers and historic preservationists. These volunteers will also virtually lead the various project groups post-workshop. Time commitment is 2-4 hours per week through the project completion, close to the end of the year. The in-person workshop will take place November 2nd through 4th, 2025, and our first coordination meeting will take place in mid-September.
If interested, please send an email to Shannon Cilento, AICP, D-PRAT Coordinator at sncilento@gmail.com by August 29, 2025. Please indicate your desire to be on the ground or virtual team, as well as the area of expertise you would support, and attach a resume.
For more information on Colusa, visit https://cityofcolusa.com/economic-development/
---------
About D-PRAT
The Urban Design and Preservation Division’s Design-Preservation Rapid Assistance Teams (D-PRAT) is a pro-bono program to support under-resourced communities and organizations by collaboratively planning for the future, focusing on urban design and/or historic preservation issues.
The D-PRAT program provides free planning assistance to local governments and community-based organizations that need planning support to address specific problems or challenges. The program's primary goal is to make urban design and preservation planning resources available to organizations and communities that would otherwise not have access to these services or planning expertise.
Our D-PRAT program was awarded the 2023 American Planning Association Division Achievement Award for Contribution to the Planning Profession.
If you're interested in participating or learning more, please email the Division.
PREVIOUS D-PRAT ENGAGEMENTS
--------------
2024: Town of Enfield, Connecticut - Oct 21-22
The Town of Enfield, Connecticut, was selected as our 2024 D-PRAT community.
On October 21-22, the Division held a D-PRAT site visit to Enfield, CT, to help them re-envision the Thompsonville "village" between the Thompsonville Transit Center/Connecticut River to the west and Enfield Street.
The team outlined recommendations that can help enhance their waterfront area and future transportation hub, revitalize Main Street and the Central Business Core, and examine methods to upgrade substandard housing, improve green spaces, and repurpose buildings in the historic Cottage Green Neighborhood.
Our division volunteers included urban design, preservation, landscape architecture, and transportation professionals and students who helped finalize project goals and phases in partnership with the host community.
We thank our members who volunteered to serve on our on-site or virtual teams.
Download Community Presentation
------
2023: City of North Miami, Florida - Nov 13-14
Our Division shared the expertise of its Design-Preservation Rapid Assistance Team (D-PRAT) with the City of North Miami on November 13-14, 2023.
Our third D-PRAT engagement helped the City of North Miami plan for streetscape, historic preservation, and public space design. D-PRAT offered technical expertise to help implement innovative green street initiatives, with a particular emphasis on promoting and safeguarding the swale system using green infrastructure, such as bioswales, while integrating alternative modes of transportation, such as bicycle infrastructure. D-PRAT provided guidance on the importance of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, emphasizing downtown housing. In addition, the workshop offered direction on corridor enhancements and helped identify public spaces where residents can take pride in creating lasting value by serving as focal points for the current community and future generations.
Planning Magazine’s November 2023 article about climate change’s impact on our communities and the planning profession featured the North Miami, Florida D-PRAT site visit.
Read the D-PRAT findings and recommendations to the community. The final report is also available.
Download the Community Presentation
------
From Milan, MO D-PRAT engagement
2022: City of Milan, Missouri
Our second D-PRAT engagement began in the fall of 2022, working with the City of Milan, Missouri, to help them plan for historic preservation and public space design in their historic downtown core. It quickly grew to consider regional economic development opportunities, gateways, and re-establishing a tree canopy.
The City of Milan applied for the program and identified that they were looking for technical expertise to help reinforce the importance of the historical buildings to the vitality and future of the community. Their objective was to ask the D-PRAT to provide information and guidance on the value of historic preservation and adaptive reuse with an emphasis on downtown housing; provide direction on desperately needed corridor enhancements throughout the downtown, and identify public spaces that residents can take pride in and will create lasting value by serving as focal points for the current community and future generations.
2021: Town of Center, Colorado
In 2021, we worked in partnership with Downtown Colorado Inc. to assist a rural community in Colorado with a two day on-site technical workshop that helped to establish a framework for future development in the area. Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) is Colorado’s downtown association working with commercial districts to foster a local economic ecosystem to support local revitalization and activation of underutilized property, alleviate poverty, foster job and business creation, and increase local opportunity. DCI specializes in downtown organizations and financing mechanisms that support local projects.