It was another great turnout as more than 20 residents attended the second session with the OU School of Architecture team on Monday, Feb. 17 at the Checotah Community Center.

The Downtown Green Space project was spearheaded by Councilman Jay Hayes. The project aims to transform the towns core into a more vibrant and accessible area for residents and visitors alike.

The University of Oklahoma’s Landscape Architecture program works with towns and cities across Oklahoma to create better outdoor spaces for both people and nature. The students team up with the OU Institute for Quality Communities and local residents to design parks, public areas, and natural spaces that help communities thrive while protecting the environment.

“I really want to thank everyone who’s participated in both of our engagement sessions,” Hayes said.

“I’ve been impressed by both the quantity of participants and the quality of the discussions and ideas that they’ve produced. The OU team has been blown away by how engaging and welcoming everyone’s been. I’m confident that will directly impact the quality of the plans that these bright young minds produce. I’m thrilled with how things are progressing thus far,” Hayes said.

The project is now moving from its initial research stage into the creative design phase, where students will transform community input into concrete ideas. The enthusiastic response from both Checotah’s residents and government officials has been instrumental in the project’s development.

The team presented their analysis on multiple categories such as accessibility, parking, ecology, city identity, art, architecture and demographics.

Citizens were encouraged to review the presentation prior to breaking out into work groups. Participants were asked to list on maps specific ideas, concepts, and projects that they believe is needed given the data presented.

“We are making exciting progress with the Checotah community project. After conducting two successful visits to the city and holding meaningful conversations with residents, the students have gathered valuable insights that will shape their design work,” said Dr. Leslie Palacios, the project lead from OU’s Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design.

Business owners, council members, and other stakeholders spent 90 minutes actively discussing various ideas, which were then listed on large maps with locations identified and projects described. These will be analyzed for the next phase.

“The Checotah community has been incredibly welcoming and generous with their time and ideas. The students are eager to continue working with local citizens, business owners and the city government as they develop their design concepts in the weeks ahead,” Dr. Palaicos said.