D-PRAT and Serving the Underserved: Lessons on Creative Partnerships

For too many disadvantaged communities, change for the better remains elusive. Access to planning and urban design expertise is limited and often non-existent. The American Planning Association’s Urban Design and Preservation Division (UDP) created and deployed the Design and Preservation Rapid Assistance Team (D-PRAT) to solve problems related to planning, urban design, and historic preservation in collaboration with local governments and community organizations. This unique program has allowed us to engage UDP members as volunteers to help create various partnerships with communities across the country and include other supporting regional and state agencies to address problems on topics such as equity design, climate adaptation, placemaking, historic preservation and main street revitalization. D-PRAT offers a model that can be applied to communities from small rural areas to dense urban centers. The program is centered on an intense two-day workshop focused around a quick-response strategy while daylighting the steps needed to build the framework for long term revitalization opportunities. This unique program has allowed us to engage UDP members as volunteers to help create various partnerships with communities across the country and include other supporting regional and state agencies to address problems on topics such as equity design, climate adaptation, placemaking, historic preservation and main street revitalization. D-PRAT offers a model that can be applied to communities from small rural areas to dense urban centers. The program is centered on an intense two-day workshop focused around a quick-response strategy while daylighting the steps needed to build the framework for long term revitalization opportunities.