GREENWAY PLANNING

2009 VIRGINIA ASLA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Design Forum is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the ‘Service to the Community’ Award by the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. This is the first and only time the VA ASLA has given the award.

In October 2000, the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program and the American Society of Landscape Architects formalized a partnership to help communities across the nation “plan, design, and manage their natural, cultural, and recreational resources.” The Farmville Greenways & Trails Community Forum and the Appomattox Heritage & Recreation Trail Plan are two of only four in the nation that have successfully been completed to date.

The scope of work started simply as a ‘greenway’ charrette for Farmville, Virginia but the project expanded to include 1) a Greenways and Blueways Master Plan; 2) A Bike Master Plan; and 3) a Historic and Cultural Walking Tour.

When Appomattox, a smaller town 20 miles west of Farmville, heard about Farmville’s successful greenway charette they also took advantage of the partnership originally created by the ASLA and National Park Service. In Appomattox, a trail / greenway plan was developed for the Town, the County, and the Appomattox Court House National Park.

The partnership of the National Park Service and the ASLA provides landscape architects and firms opportunities to raise public awareness about our profession. Community groups, neighborhoods, and small towns sometimes face planning or design challenges that they are unable to meet due to a lack of expertise, funding, personnel, or other resources.

In addition to enhancing the profession, assisting small towns who cannot afford design services, the trailways and bikeways will be built for local commuting and recreation. The momentum for these projects has exceeded the expectations of the Virginia ASLA and National Park Service representatives. Additionally, these trails will provide connections to a larger, statewide trail system that will ultimately connect the mountains to the coast.

In Farmville, the charrette set the foundation for the Greater Farmville Greenway Alliance to establish a broader green infrastructure initiative within the region. What began as a small town project has grown into a regional concept.

In Appomattox, the Virginia Intermodal Planning Grant was awarded that will build partnerships with educators, homeowner associations, and other partners to support increased activity for youth while supporting the town’s heritage and increase their tourism.

Some of the jury comments on this project were:
Excellent project and huge amount of work
On par with many projects done for fee
The extensive collaboration is impressive
Comprehensive and sustainable