Institute of Government's community branding and
RSVP downtown development programs recognized
The University of Georgia has been announced as a finalist for two prestigious national awards for public service and outreach economic development initiatives.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) named UGA as one of six finalists for its 13th annual Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) Awards. The IEP Awards recognize exemplary and innovative initiatives in economic development.
The University Economic Development Association (UEDA) named UGA among its finalists for the 2025 UEDA Awards of Excellence for the Institute of Government's Community Branding program.
APLU recognized UGA for its work across the state of Georgia empowering local communities through collaborations that support economic and community development, including the Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning (RSVP) program, the Archway Partnership and the Community Branding program. RSVP and Community Branding are both housed at the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
In 2013, UGA launched the RSVP Program to help Georgia communities revitalize their downtowns through public engagement, design-based planning and implementation support. Each plan is shaped through collaboration with UGA faculty and staff who work directly with local governments, residents and community stakeholders to develop roadmaps for revitalization. Through the program, 25 towns have completed plans, generating over $500 million in public and private investment across Georgia. Results include parks, housing, civic spaces, infrastructure and development that reflect local needs.
Further supporting communities across the state, UGA’s Archway Partnership embeds faculty in select communities to connect experiential learning opportunities for students in support of locally identified needs. Over 100 projects were completed last year, ranging from murals to health care and housing.
UGA’s Community Branding program helps local governments tell their stories, promote local assets and boost economic development. Since 2018, this program has helped meet the needs of communities statewide seeking branding as an important tool to help Georgia communities prosper and grow.
The Community Branding program is also a finalist for the UEDA Awards of Excellence in the Place category, which recognizes the many and diverse ways in which institutions contribute to making attractive, competitive communities—places where people want to live, create and take jobs, raise their families, participate in civic life, and age and retire.
The RSVP and Community Branding programs are services of the Institute of Government. The institute and Archway Partnership are two of the eight Public Service and Outreach units at UGA focused on serving Georgia. The division of Public Service and Outreach at UGA enhances quality of life in Georgia by applying the knowledge of the university to support jobs, develop leaders and address the state’s evolving economic, social and community challenges.
UEDA will recognize a category leader at its annual conference in October. Final awardees will be announced for APLU in November.