Citizen participation and community education are critical to encouraging attractive and sustainable growth. The Alliance for Quality Growth (AQG), housed at the University of Georgia, was formed to increase awareness and understanding of the wide variety of planning and growth management tools available, including the charrette, a proven technique for delivering design solutions in a short time through an intensive community-based process. To help in situations not appropriate for a full charrette, the AQG has developed a "mini-charrette" that combines a team of experts and a shortened input/local education component. This article documents how the mini-charrette was used in restoring a portion of downtown Warrenton, Georgia. Through this technique, the town obtained expert advice that enabled it to visualize untapped potential at minimal cost, and students gained real-world experience by creating a design that fit the town's character and aesthetics. [This article was written with Ann Allen and Jan Coyne.]