Community Visioning - Gilmore City, IA

JBC Landscape Architects led Gilmore City through a comprehensive community visioning process designed to strengthen its transportation corridors, elevate community identity, and guide long-term improvements. Working alongside a local steering committee, the team facilitated goal-setting workshops, visual assessments, and a full inventory of circulation patterns, natural resources, and community assets. These insights shaped a cohesive concept plan supported by clear implementation strategies tailored to the community’s priorities.

Through this process, the steering committee identified several focus areas: expanding recreational trail connections, enhancing Sunset Park, revitalizing Main Street, improving entry signage, preserving the town’s historic limestone structures, and addressing water and sewer infrastructure needs. The design team analyzed the town’s character, daily travel patterns, and recreational destinations to ensure the plan reflected how residents actually use and move through their community. Trails, accessibility, and the visual quality of Gilmore Street emerged as especially high-impact opportunities.

The resulting concept plan outlines coordinated enhancements across the community, including multi-phase trail development linking neighborhoods and regional recreation areas, streetscape and accessibility upgrades along Main Street, improvements to Sunset Park, and strategies for protecting Gilmore City’s limestone heritage. A comprehensive set of presentation boards documented these recommendations, giving the community a clear, actionable vision for future investment and long-term corridor improvements.