Town Branch Water Walk is a self-guided tour of Lexington’s hidden water body, Town Branch, which reveals the unique history, geology and ecology of Lexington. The Water Walk is an interactive experience that provides a broader understanding of the biophysical area around the Town Branch, reveals the water that run beneath the city, as well as demonstrates the impacts each resident can have on the river. Through a series of research and design workshops with SCAPE Landscape Architecture and MTWTFdesign consultancy, landscape architecture students at the University of Kentucky developed maps and podcasts about various aspects of Lexington’s complex water systems. This project was made possible by a water quality education grant from the Department of Environmental Quality.
The Water Walk was modeled after the Columbia Urban Landscape Lab Safari 7 exhibition, which transformed the 7 line into a guided exploration of urban ecologies in Manhattan and Queens. The Water Walk combines maps and podcasts to highlight aspects of Lexington’s history and future, to make the interrelations of ecology, geology, industry, stormwater, habitat, colonial and pre-colonial history legible. The Water Walk complements the competition-winning linear park designed by SCAPE and MTWTF to daylight the creek and recreate the historic Town Branch Commons.
Visit the Town Branch Water Walk website for more information about the event series and the Water Walk launch on September 20th.