City Council Launches Plan to Revive, Increase Walkability in 12 Neighborhoods

By Emily Cundiff | WBMA

Birmingham City Council approved nearly $700,000 Tuesday to begin planning a long-term effort aimed at revitalizing 12 neighborhood business districts across the city.

The agreements are part of a previously approved $2 million investment from the city’s budget surplus for the Urban Villages Initiative. City leaders describe the effort as a way to create vibrant, walkable neighborhood centers that provide nearby businesses, services, transportation options and public gathering spaces.

The council approved three contracts totaling up to $699,155:

• Interface Studio — up to $299,980
• TSW — up to $299,575
• Wilbron — up to $99,600 for community engagement strategies and project narratives

The 12 Urban Villages identified by the city are:

• Huffman — where a plan was completed in 2024
• East Lake
• Eastwood
• Woodlawn
• Five Points South
• Northwest Downtown
• North Birmingham
• Smithfield
• Titusville
• Ensley
• Five Points West
• Lawson State

Some areas, including Huffman, are further along in the process because planning has already been completed. City officials said those neighborhoods can begin moving toward implementation, while other Urban Villages will use the newly approved contracts to develop their plans.

Hunter Garrison, deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, said the goal is to create places where residents can more easily get to everyday destinations without needing to drive.

“The Urban Village Initiative is really about creating some great walkable places in the city of Birmingham,” Garrison said. “One thing that we’re fortunate to have in our city is a lot of historic neighborhoods that used to have that, or may still have it in some elements.”

The consultants will develop recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term projects. Those could include sidewalk and crossing improvements, bike and transit infrastructure, streetscape upgrades, public plazas, potential development sites and lower-cost projects designed to test ideas before larger investments are made.

Each planning effort is also expected to include community meetings, outreach to neighborhood leaders and business owners, and conceptual renderings showing what the areas could become.

Councilor Jennifer Smitherman said the initiative is meant to bring renewed activity to business districts across Birmingham.

“[It’s] really kind of breathe life back into our business districts on the north side, south side, east side, and west side,” Smitherman said.

City officials emphasized Tuesday that the work is in its early planning and visioning phase. The plans are expected to take about a year to complete, while some smaller projects could begin sooner.