Sense of Place

Sense of Place refers to a community’s own identity. It is those often intangible aspects that make the community feel like home. Sometimes referred to as “Place Making” this element aims to support place-based initiatives to improve residents’ quality of life.

Sense of Place initiatives could include preserving historic districts or properties, developing a city or county brand identity, supporting locally owned businesses, and developing community pride/ownership. This could also include beautification efforts and community events/festivals where the event/festival is primarily for local residents as opposed to a tourist attraction. Throughout the Regional Community Strategic Planning Process conducted as part of BRADD’s 2022-2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, each of BRADD’s 10 counties set goals and objectives address public health and safety needs in their communities. Additionally, BRADD has several regional goals targeting public health and safety. A summary of both the regional goals and county goals and objectives can be found in the tabs to the right. 

Regional Goals County-Level Goals Sense of Place Objectives

Sense of Place at a Glance

BRADD tracks regional data points across multiple categories, including sense of place. A snapshot of sense of place in the region is displayed here.

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median resident age
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Local Success

City of Scottsville:
First Fridays

When brainstorming ideas for rejuvenating the downtown atmosphere in the City of Scottsville, the Heart of Scottsville nonprofit organization decided to try out a monthly Friday evening event encouraging local businesses to stay open late, working with other local vendors to set up various pop-up shops along the sidewalk, and ultimately increasing foot traffic to the square.

More Coming Soon
Local Success

City of Franklin:
Music on the Square

One of the longest-running public events in the region, Franklin’s Music on the Square has gone through many changes and challenges over the years. Nonetheless, the event continues to be a community favorite and brings crowds of people to downtown Franklin on Friday nights from June to August. 

More Coming Soon
Local Success

City of Cave City:
Cars & Coffee

Tapping into a national idea, Cave City began hosting their own Cars and Coffee morning event in 2021. The monthly event aims to bring awareness to the amenities available within Cave City while providing an event for the public to enjoy. 

More Coming Soon
Project for Public Spaces

A comprehensive overview of Placemaking as a process and how communities can implement placemaking strategies.

American Planning Association

A multigenerational planning approach ensures that the needs of all residents are met and that older members of our communities are not at risk of social isolation, poverty, declining health, and poor economic well-being.

Lupton Center

The Flourishing Neighborhood Index measures the health of your community across economic, social, and structural indicators.

AARP

6 workbooks with strategies and solutions that make a community great for people of all ages.

Blue zones

Applying research of the world’s longest-lived cultures to empower everyone, everywhere to live better, longer.

Kentucky main Street Program

The Kentucky Main Street Program is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program and is based on a Four-Point Approach developed by Main Street America’s National Main Street Center, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Kentucky association of counties

KACo provides a web-recorded training on how to get the most out of planning and zoning in your community. 

Wisconsin economic development corporation

This report provides a sample of how downtown buildings in small towns can be put to productive use in generating activity and community pride. It is intended to stimulate new ideas for reusing buildings for retail, food and beverage, services, and community spaces.

LISC

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Creative Placemaking Program (LISC) are pleased to share this digital toolkit created especially to support local leaders as they embark on the work of bringing diverse partners together to integrate arts and culture into community development and planning.

THe Farmers Market Pros

Check out an episode or two of Tent Talk, the only podcast specifically for market managers and participants. With over two hundred episodes available it’s binge worthy. They share tons of tips and ideas around the benefits and challenges of operating a farmers market.

The Farmers Market Pros

Click here for a customizable Farmers Market Bingo card template. Voila! Now you have a simple kid’s activity for your market National Farmers Market Week!

CEDIK

CEDIK and USDA:RD have partnered to provide this resource to identify placemaking projects that align with your community capacity. 

eat wild appalachia


A look at how murals are transforming downtowns across the Commonwealth.