Buckhead Storylines
Project History
In 2013-14 Buckhead Heritage spearheaded the creation of a Master Interpretive Plan for Buckhead that provides both a conceptual framework for a community-wide interpretive program and an action plan for implementation. The interpretive program envisioned–Buckhead StoryLines: Reimagined Historic Sites–will engage urban explorers in experiences that entertain, educate, and cultivate an understanding of Buckhead’s rich history.
The Master Interpretive Plan was an outgrowth of the Buckhead Greenspace Action Plan. During the community engagement process for that plan, stakeholders agreed that integrating historical interpretation into the community’s greenspace system would enrich the experience of Buckhead’s existing and future network of parks, trails, and greenspaces, further the community’s awareness of Buckhead’s history, and position Buckhead to take advantage of the State of Georgia’s fastest growing tourism industry segment–heritage tourism.
Communities across the country use various interpretive strategies to tell their local history, from historical markers, to digital apps, to bike and bus tours, to physical design. So, what would Buckhead’s interpretive program look like? What stories would be told? And where?
In the fall of 2013, Buckhead Heritage hired Signature Design, a unique collaborative of interpretive planners, designers, and content developers, to help answer these questions. Buckhead Heritage also engaged a 28-member steering committee representing non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, area conservancies, and local government to create a thoughtful roadmap for building an interpretive experience in Buckhead. Together, the team developed an overarching and integrated set of Buckhead storylines, created a storyline site map, conceived preliminary concept plans for exhibits and signage, and produced a strategy for implementation. This plan will be the foundation of Buckhead Heritage’s work for several years to come.