The City of Columbus partnered with TxTC in 2019 to explore ideas to enhance the overall attractiveness and visual appeal along key corridors. Located 70 miles west of Houston at the crossroads of I-10 and Hwy 71, the City sought landscape improvements along gateway corridors. With about 60 Registered Texas Historic Landmarks, Columbus sees an opportunity to highlight historical assets that provide a sense of pride.
TxTC worked with a core team of community members to establish the project scope and conduct a community survey to identify community needs and priorities. Based on the community priorities, undergraduate students in LAND 312 in the landscape architecture program developed a Masterplan and Landscape Improvement Plan for the Gateway Corridors in the City of Columbus. Students conducted a 3-hour community design charrette with 30 stakeholders, who provided valuable information and guidance. Later, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the design studio moved online, and students presented ideas to community leaders remotely via Zoom. Designs focused on enhancing the City’s gateway image, improving the sense of arrival, and strengthening the linkage between major highways, the downtown area, and the Colorado River. Additionally, a final year graduate student in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning developed a master plan to beautify the HWY 90 corridor and historic downtown. The project provides recommendations to promote economic development through tourism, enhance the quality of life, and preserve and enhance the historic downtown character.