Town Branch Commons by Gresham Smith

Town Branch Commons is a transformative 2.2-mile linear park and trail system stitched through the heart of downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. Following the buried path of Town Branch Creek—the city’s original water source—the project reimagines how infrastructure, ecology, and urban life can coalesce into a resilient public realm. More than a transportation upgrade, this landscape-driven project restores the city’s ecological memory while advancing equity, connectivity, and civic pride.

Prior to the transformation, the Town Branch corridor was a hazardous network of high-speed roads that cut through the downtown core—dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, yet central to public transit. Through a decade of partnership, planning, and design, the corridor was reborn as a safe, accessible, multi-modal trail system that separates vehicles from people, enhances safety, and invites vibrant public life. With dedicated walking and biking paths, native plantings, bioswales, and memorable design rooted in the region’s unique Bluegrass landscape, Town Branch Commons reclaims the heart of the city for its people.

Every element of the design is grounded in the local context of Central Kentucky’s karst geology and traditional landforms. Local limestone appears in walls, seating, and interactive water features. A unique “cross-hatch” paving pattern draws on natural creek movements and unifies the experience across the corridor. Dry-laid stonework by regional craftsmen, bioswales modeled after Bluegrass streambanks, and the planting of over 300 trees triple the corridor’s urban canopy and manage stormwater across nearly one acre of new green infrastructure.

Town Branch Commons not only reconnects nature with downtown, but also people with place. The corridor includes clear, layered wayfinding, interpretive signage, and storytelling that reflect the region’s natural and cultural history. A multimedia educational campaign and community events during design and implementation further rooted the space in public ownership.

Strategically, the project bridges important physical and social gaps. It links the Town Branch Trail and Legacy Trail, completing a 22-mile pedestrian and cycling loop from the urban core to rural edges. It improves access to the downtown Transit Center—used daily by residents without cars—and creates new safe crossings for East End neighborhoods that were previously cut off from the heart of the city.

The scale and complexity of delivery also demonstrate replicable methods for other mid-sized cities. Built in seven coordinated segments—with different funding sources, schedules, and agencies—the project demanded a “jurisdictional landscape” approach. It is an example of infrastructure as integrated ecosystem—blending mobility, ecology, public health, and design integrity in one contiguous whole.

Already, the project has had measurable impacts on downtown safety, mobility, and economic development. New retail, open spaces, and cultural events now activate the corridor. The urban experience has fundamentally shifted—from noisy and unsafe car corridors to a calm, continuous greenway celebrated by residents and visitors alike. The design has sparked attention across the U.S., serving as a case study in policy, academic, and planning circles.

While it was largely funded through transportation and infrastructure dollars, Town Branch Commons is a landscape architecture project at its core—one that repositions everyday streets as ecological and civic assets. It responds not only to the American condition, but to global challenges: reclaiming public space, embedding climate-resilient systems, and making cities more equitable and inclusive. Town Branch Commons is not just a green corridor—it is a visionary civic investment that transforms how we move, gather, and belong. It redefines the role of urban infrastructure through the lens of landscape architecture, setting a precedent for equitable, resilient, and inspired public space.

• Other landscape architecture offices involved in the design of the landscape:
Gresham Smith, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, Element Design

• Other credits:
Client: Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG)
Subconsultants: Strand Engineering, Pace Contracting, EHI Consultants