Renewal of a rural, small-town civic plaza and main street.
With a population of around 16,000, the rural town of Sulphur Springs set out to revitalize its town square, converting it from a parking lot to a public park that would host events and gatherings. Ian Lockwood, a livable transportation engineer now affiliated with Toole Design Group, who submitted the project to RBA, led the planning process for the towns’ numerous urban design and landscaping improvements.
Sulphur Springs Downtown provides a great example of how to bring small towns back to life.
2019 Selection Committee
Sulphur Springs has inspired other rural towns and cities in Texas. The other cities are developing their own revitalization plans, emphasizing their own unique histories and contexts while borrowing the tried and true urban design and planning principles that helped Sulphur Springs. Sulphur Springs has become a role model for other places and teaching lab for designers.