Legacy Update: Community Character

Community character can be defined as the various elements that make a place special and different from all other places. It is a reason that new businesses want to come to a community, it is what makes families want to move to be part of a community, and it is what attracts visitors and tourists to a city or town. Community character is why citizens are proud to call their city home. It is not something that can be duplicated from another location. It is something that a community has worked to preserve or create over many years. This chapter addresses a number of topics that impact a community’s character including public art, historic preservation, visual corridors, gateways, trees, cultural features and design guidelines.

Forsyth County is rich with heritage, natural beauty and community amenities. What do we want to keep and improve for both current Forsyth County residents and the 120,000 new people who will call this community home? How do we preserve what we have while growing in a dynamic fashion?