Whitney Grant

Lacey McLaughlin

by Lacey McLaughlin
September 16, 2009

Whitney Grant, 24, lives and works in a think tank. She is an intern architect at the Jackson Community Design Center, a research laboratory that analyzes urban design and provides feedback for future development in the city. JCDC's planning models predict future growth trends, and examines economically depressed areas and responsible land use.

A graduate of Mississippi State University, Grant has worked with architecture firms in Rhode Island and Virginia, and has studied at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey.

When Grant moved to Jackson last year, she initially thought the city would be a detour on her career path but instead found a place where she wanted to grow roots.

"When we went out and started presenting ideas, we got a lot of positive feedback," she says. "There is a lot of energy here and key players who want to get involved. ... Jackson isn't perfect, but if I were to go somewhere that doesn't have some of the problems Jackson does, it wouldn't be very challenging."

Finding creative solutions to problems goes beyond the job. Every other Wednesday night she hosts "idea dinners" with neighbors and friends.

"People are invited to dinner with a concept to discuss," she says. Everyone at the table offers input on how to address the problem.

Grant is also responsible for the six-foot, cardboard ear walking around Jackson. The larger-than-life ear represents the blog, "That Big Ear," which Grant and other intern architects started last year to find out what residents wanted to change in the city—keeping their ear to the ground.

"We wanted to create a scenario that people found interesting," she says. "It's hard to get ideas if you aren't listening to the community. This created a way to get more input."

The blog compiles surveys and provides public information about issues such as mass transit, urban development and green space in the city.

Grant is planning a symposium for fall 2010 that will focus on the future of a mid-size American city. She is bringing an international pool of scholars to Jackson to participate in a design competition; every scholar will present a solution to a development obstacle specific to Jackson.

"With a population of approximately 530,000, Jackson represents cities that house around 30 percent of the United States population," she says. "... [T]he event will show that Jackson is a place where forward thinking occurs."

To read That Big Ear, visit thatbigear.blogspot.com.

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