The Heart of a Community
Grounded in public engagement and consensus building, the Haywood & Page Vision Plan transforms a vacant and neglected historic parcel into a resilient public asset.
The Haywood & Page Visioning Project establishes a clear and implementable concept for a 1.25-acre city-owned parcel at 68 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Positioned at the former site of Stoney Hill, once the natural high point of the city and dramatically altered in the early twentieth century, the site carries a layered history that informs its future potential as a civic landscape.
The concept plan is the culmination of a year-long planning effort built on the foundation of an extensive community visioning process. Working closely with City leadership, volunteer stakeholders, adjacent cultural institutions, and the broader public, the design team developed a shared framework that reconciles multiple aspirations for the site while grounding decisions in economic and operational realities.
Central to the approach is the principle of pragmatic authenticity, aligning an ambitious civic vision with feasible, phased implementation. The plan positions the site as a connective urban space that strengthens relationships among nearby cultural destinations and contributes to the vitality of downtown Asheville. It establishes a flexible, civic-minded landscape that supports public life, programming, and daily use while acknowledging the site's historic transformations.
Through integrated planning, economic analysis, and community engagement, the project provides a roadmap for a resilient and adaptable public space. The result is a grounded yet forward-looking vision that reflects Asheville's identity, supports its cultural infrastructure, and responds to the evolving conditions of a post-pandemic city.
