Environmental Design Foundations for Downtown Revitalization through Community Design Efforts: A Case of Williamsburg, KY

Jayoung Koo (University of Kentucky)

Rural design is frequently overlooked by the design disciplines. Rural areas often lack a comprehensive plan to guide communities in addressing land use and development changes due to economic performances, population shifts, and technology advances. Downtowns in rural areas and small towns are particularly susceptible to underperformance due to new developments near entrances/exits along major roads resulting in the bypassing of central locations within communities, such as in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Located in Whitley County, Williamsburg has a rich heritage, celebrating its bicentennial in 2018, and a natural environment which provides many quality of life opportunities. The county’s population is near its historical high with potential for growth. Traditionally, the economy has been dependent on natural resource harvest (timber) and extraction (coal) resulting from its geographically advantageous location within the Cumberland Mountains near the headwaters of the Cumberland River watershed, nestled around federal and state recreational resources. However, without a comprehensive development plan, Williamsburg’s downtown has lost its vibrancy to commercial endeavors near its interstate entrance despite housing a Main Street program.

This study presents environmental design efforts from a community-engaged service-learning design studio project working with a rural community to revitalize their declining downtown. An undergraduate landscape architecture studio partnered with Why Whitley, a community group focused on revitalizing Williamsburg’s built environment and quality of life. Students utilized information gathered from engaged activities, such as Chalk and Talk and First Impressions, and utilized Radical Walking to assess the community setting. Then the students assessed and adapted engagement techniques to facilitate a community design workshop and an online survey with Williamsburg’s stakeholders. With the range of community voices, the class developed four proposals of city-wide conceptual plans including focus area designs. Project outcomes will be utilized for grant applications to implement elements of the public space designs.