English Village, Mountain Brook, AL by Nimrod Long and Associates

Mountain Brook’s village streetscape project grew out of an appeal by local merchants for city improvements to remain competitive with suburban shopping centers. In 1995, the City hired Nimrod Long and Associates to design streetscape improvements for three historic retail villages; the villages were part of the city’s original 1920’s masterplan from the 1920's, each village has evolved a unique character through distinctive architecture, scale, and shops. The goal of the project, established by the merchants and City Council, was to enhance these existing qualities with improved sidewalks, attractive lighting, better parking, and proposals for appropriate infill development to strengthen the villages’ character.

Each village has a feature area that acts as a village center for surrounding neighborhoods. Merchants in English Village commissioned a sculpture for the center of their village, in keeping with the Village’s Tudor architecture and unique shops. The bronze female figure entitled Civitas, honors one of Alabama's first female architects, and the designer of many of the fine homes surrounding the village.