TSW’s Landscape Architecture Studio, was hired by Cherokee County to create a comprehensive plan for the Southwest region of the county. The plan called SW Cherokee County Parks & Trails Plan, focuses on parcels of land owned or leased by the county, and includes plans for public parks, recreational facilities, trails, and bike and pedestrian paths spanning around 6,000 acres. The geographic boundaries of the plan include the Bartow County line on the west, Wade Green Road on the east, the Cobb County line to the south, and Kellogg Creek Road and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property on the north.

To gather input from the community, TSW implemented a virtual public input process, including stakeholder interviews, focus groups, online surveys, a virtual kickoff meeting, in-person pop-up events, and a virtual design workshop. This input helped TSW develop a vision for the SW Cherokee County Parks & Trails, and gather feedback on conceptual designs. These engagement methods allowed residents and park users to provide place-based feedback on interactive maps and concept plan options.

Based on this input, TSW developed conceptual plans for the parks and trail system, spanning a total of 140 acres and featuring a mix of passive and active programming. The firm provided a minimum of two options per site for community feedback, and after final input, TSW revised the concepts into a preferred concept plan for each site. The plan also includes construction cost estimates and a phased capital improvement program.