Community Developments

At the second annual Cave Spring High School Career Expo on September 17, Roanoke County Planning and Zoning staff introduced students in grades 8-12 to real life public engagement strategies. After learning a little about the planning and development process, students were asked to choose their favorite style of public art and of multi-family housing. The survey showed the relationship between public engagement and community design.

Both public art and multi-family housing are being considered as part of current and future planning studies, like Reimagine 419. The Career Expo gave staff an opportunity to better understand what denser residential options might be desirable to our future population, and how young people felt about public art. 

The results of the survey indicated that students preferred either a more contemporary but still traditional, three-story style of suburban apartment or an ultra-modern, higher-density apartment style. They liked both mural types of public art best, but showed an interest in the modern metal sculpture as well.

Note: Students were given one dot for each poster. 


Apartment Design Survey


Public Art Type Survey. Top left: bike racks; top right: wall mural; lower left: street mural; lower right: metal sculpture.