Fort Wayne – Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (Aim) announced Franklin has earned an Aim Placemaking Award for downtown transformation. The town was honored with this award on Wednesday, October 10th during the Annual Awards Luncheon – presented by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, LLC during the 2024 Aim Ideas Summit in Fort Wayne. Franklin won in the 20,001 – 50,000 population category.
On June 7, 2008, a historic flood devastated Franklin’s downtown, leaving the community struggling and businesses shuttered. In response, the city collaborated with local businesses and residents to envision a brighter future, leading to the creation of Youngs Creek Park to be a space designed to manage floodwaters while serving as a vibrant community hub.
Opened in 2022, Youngs Creek Park features an amphitheater, splashpad, playground, and trails, all shaped by community input. The park has become the heart of social activity in Franklin, hosting events, festivals, and more. The park’s innovative design, including flood resilience features and a new pedestrian bridge connecting neighborhoods, symbolizes Franklin’s journey from tragedy to triumph.
Aim CEO Matt Greller noted, “When communities take a devastating event and create something useful, beautiful and functional from it, they not only deserve these kudos, they also become a resource for other communities to utilize in the aftermath of inevitable future disasters.”
Learn more about the completed project here.
The Placemaking Award highlights programs or projects that have been implemented and demonstrate new approaches for solving municipal challenges. Placemaking projects also exemplify the positive impact of planning, regeneration, or economic development work on the physical quality of a place, as well as the economic and social well-being of a community. Nominations must have a physical aspect. Awards are presented in multiple population categories based on nominations received.
In its 48th year, the Aim Annual Awards program, presented by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors LLC, recognizes communities and individuals in municipal government for excellence and outstanding achievement. A seven-member panel of qualified judges selected this year’s winners from a competitive field of nominees from around the state.
Conference Facts:
2024 Aim Ideas Summit
October 8-10, 2024
Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne
Attendance: 1,000 (pending final registration count)
Further information: www.aimindiana.org
Since the 1890s, Aim, formerly the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, has been an advocate for Indiana municipalities. Aim is the official voice of municipal government in Indiana, with more than 460 cities and towns as members. Our purpose is to foster, promote and advocate for the success of Hoosier municipalities as laboratories of innovation, hubs of talent and the engines driving our state’s economy.