Success StoryImplementation of Huntertown Community Interpretive Park Planning and Design Phase 2



Implementation of Huntertown Community Interpretive Park Planning and Design Phase 2

Author: Jayoung Koo

Planning Unit: Landscape Architecture

Major Program: Community Design/Creative Placemaking

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

UK Department of Landscape Architecture (UKLA) has been partnering with the Huntertown Community Interpretive Park (HCIP) Committee since 2020 to envision the former African-American hamlet community site of Huntertown now as a 40-acre public open space. With the support of the 2021 UK Sustainability Challenge Grant, UKLA revised the preliminary park master plan during phase 2 (2021-2023) to reflect the community’s past footprints on the landscape more appropriately and further explored focusing on environmental education and restoration in the inner-wooded area. Other project team members also led their efforts to research, plan, and propose features and elements that complement the overall project and its sustainability.


The collaborative UK and HCIP committee effort since the summer of 2021 has also accomplished the following features presented in the park landscape and for online communication. 

  1. Input from LA 324 students in Fall 2021 and Fall 2022 (led by associate professor Jayoung Koo), along with community feedback, resulted in a Phase 2 master plan strengthening the cultural landscape of Huntertown. 
  2. Input from LA 372 students in Fall 2021 (under the instruction of associate professor Ryan Hargrove) resulted in the physical design of the interpretive wayfinding signs.
  3. Historical research and preservation of Huntertown and African-American hamlets in central KY post-Civil War were conducted by associate professor Dan Vivian and Ms. Sioux Finney, HCIP committee chair. Contents were later laid out in 14 interpretive signs and a 5-panel introductory sign to inform and educate visitors and users of the park.
  4. To address stormwater management concerns, associate professor Chris Sass led the bioswale planning and construction to alleviate local flooding in the park's northeastern area, also known as the “Bottoms” area.
  5. Input from A-S 345 students (led by assistant professor Chad Eby) informed the HCIP committee of potential ideas for the HCIP website. Professor Eby also developed an audio platform to communicate the significance of Huntertown, which embedded oral narratives. Visitors can access ECHOES “Soundwalk” and listen to the narratives as they experience the interpretive signs along the trail. 
  6. The master gardeners of Woodford County Extension Office, with Extension agents, planned and constructed a pollinator garden.

Throughout the project period, the HCIP Committee, city and county leaders, volunteers, and residents were excited to see the Huntertown Community Interpretive Park incrementally being realized and becoming a part of their culture, heritage, and future. Projects such as HCIP take much time, effort, and patience to plan and build capacity. Also, engaging community members in a timely manner is essential. Further, strong partners that are proactive in seeking and advocating for support for public projects are important.

In terms of publicity, the project has gained much attention after the signage and bioswale dedication in November 2023. The celebration was featured in WEKU and LEX 18 news. The HCIP Committee continues to host events and interests from the community and helps advocate for the incremental building of the park. The committee’s fundraising efforts continue toward implementing the pubic space design project. For the intermediate terms, the UKLA design proposals and SCG team efforts have provided a strong foundation to support the placemaking efforts not only for Versailles-Woodford County residents but also for the broader central KY region.  






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