College / University Towns

Kendig Keast Collaborative has specialized in working with college and university towns across the nation, in 24 states and counting, whether for long-range planning, development regulations, or other specialized planning efforts. This has included a variety of community types and sizes, involving small college campuses in quaint settings as well as leading, large-scale research institutions that function like cities themselves. Colleges and universities are major economic drivers in many places, and also can have a direct and visible influence in the community — far beyond just affecting the local demographic mix. Our familiarity with and understanding of pertinent issues includes housing, traffic and transit, bicycle/pedestrian circulation, parking, utility infrastructure capacities, neighborhood integrity, economic diversification, the “brain drain” phenomenon, and general “town-gown” relations.

  • College Station, TX (Texas A&M University)
  • Laramie, WY (University of Wyoming)
  • Moscow, ID (University of Idaho)
  • Murfreesboro, TN (Middle Tennessee State University)
  • Edinburg, TX (University of Texas Pan-American)

Military Communities

  • Altus, OK (Altus AFB)
  • Bossier City, LA (Barksdale AFB)
  • Del Rio, TX (Laughlin AFB)
  • Killeen, TX (Fort Hood Army Base)
  • Kingsville, TX (Naval Air Station)
  • Manhattan, KS (Fort Riley Army Base)
  • Maricopa, AZ (Luke AFB)
  • Schertz, TX (Randolph AFB)

Tourism and Resort Communities

KKC has specialized in working with communities that have a tourism-based economy. KKC understands that cities that depend on tourism often have specific challenges to plan for that other communities do not have, such as seasonal spikes and lulls in population, the need for a large service-based workforce, and a large number of transient individuals who may only live in the community for one season. Resort and tourism-based communities can also be at a major disadvantage in their ability to provide the necessary public services due to the small number of permanent residents. This problem is compounded by the number of second home owners that can exist in these cities. This often creates an affordable housing problem for the numerous individuals that need to be employed within the services and tourist-based sector who also need to live in proximity to where they work. KKC has the experience to deal with the specific challenges often seen in tourism-based communities and the knowledge to know how communities can best capitalize, plan for, and mitigate these issues.

  • Aspen, CO
  • Durango, CO
  • Galveston, TX
  • Jackson/Teton County, WY
  • Nantucket, MA
  • S. Padre Island, TX

Rural Counties

  • Grundy County, IL
  • McKracken County, KY
  • St. Croix County, WI
  • St. Mary Parish, LA
  • Tangipahoa County, LA

Sensitive Environments

  • Bainbridge Township, OH
  • Florida Springs (Florida DCA)

Urbanizing Areas

  • Charleston County, SC
  • Murfreesboro, TN
  • Pearland, TX
  • Rosenberg, TX
  • Zachary, LA

Enclave Cities

  • Bellaire, TX
  • West University Place, TX