City Design Studio...

Here in Montgomery, we are in the process of creating a municipal design and development studio that will provide municipal planning and design services for local development.

Dallas, Texas has one of the country's most-cited examples of this type effort.  It even has a Facebook page.

The idea is not to compete with private sector service providers but, instead, complement those services with planning and design tools such as the city's GIS system or other internal resources.  

Nashville, Tennessee also has a frequently noted design studio.

Chad Emerson, Faulkner