Valley, a merger of four textile towns on the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee River -- about 90 miles south of Atlanta -- is a shining example of the Small Town Design Initiative's impact on Alabama.

Incorporated in 1980, Valley struggled for identity and direction for many years. Purchase of land from an economically depressed textile company led to questions of what to do with the land. That question led Valley to the late Frank Setzer, then director of the Urban Studio.

"Our work with Frank Setzer and Cheryl Morgan (current director of the Urban Studio) changed our lives as a city," says Valley Mayor Arnold Leak.

Whether to move forward with programs initiated in Valley's Small Town Initiative is the key issue in the Aug. 24 mayoral election in Valley.

On the drawing board are plans for developing Langdale Mill, which was recently purchased by Valley from a bankruptcy sale by the mill's last owner. Preserving the mill's structure and geographic "center of town" is at the heart of Valley's political debate.

"The mill project is a decision point for our city, since we can go no further toward our vision without a firm commitment from our citizenry," Leak says.

The mill is on the Chattahoochee River and plans are underway for residential lofts, an art center, a master gardening program and farmers market to be housed on the site.

Leak points out that prior to working with the Urban Studio, few of Valley's leaders would have thought of using the Chattahoochee River as a resource.

Valley is one of only eight small Alabama towns to be accepted as participants in the Alabama Communities of Excellence program, and the city has been declared a "Certified Local Government" by the U.S. Department of Interior.

"One can definitely see positive benefits from the fine work done by the Urban Studio in Valley," says Leak. "It gives us a vision -- in fact we call it the Valley Vision."

The Urban Studio will complete plans for Elba and Wedowee and will begin work on a plan for Fairfield this fall.