Building Healthier Communities from the Ground Up: The Grundy County Process

10 min read: The Civic Design Center partnered with communities across Grundy County to lead resident- and youth-driven design charrettes, creating a health equity report rooted in local voices and visions for healthier, more connected towns.

What does it look like when neighbors, students, civic leaders, and designers come together to envision a healthier, more connected future? In Grundy County, Tennessee, it looks like collaboration, empowerment, and a lot of heart.

The Civic Design Center began working with communities across Grundy County—including Tracy City, Coalmont, Gruetli-Laager, Palmer, and Sewanee—through a project aimed at developing local, community-driven plans to promote long-term health and well-being. We partnered with the South Cumberland Community Fund, local elected officials, educators, and civic groups to shape a process that centered the voices of those who live, work, and go to school in these towns.

At the heart of this initiative was the use of community-led design charrettes—collaborative public workshops where neighbors came together to share concerns, imagine possibilities, and co-create ideas for the future of their hometowns. Rather than leading these events ourselves, the Civic Design Center focused on empowering local residents to take the lead. We provided training on how to run a charrette, facilitate discussion, and document community feedback, so the process would reflect local ownership and authenticity.

Each town hosted its own community sessions, and participants spoke candidly about what they loved about their neighborhoods and what they hoped could change—everything from walkability to green space, housing to gathering places. Our team synthesized all the input to generate vision concepts tailored to each community, with initial ideas circulated through surveys for further feedback. Students from the University of the South in Sewanee supported this feedback-gathering process, helping to ensure a wide range of voices were captured.

Recognizing that young people are vital to any community’s future, we also worked closely with Grundy County Schools, engaging students across the district in creative workshops focused on belonging, safety, and opportunity. A standout part of this work came through the SPARK youth group, a team of local high school students who took data from these workshops and turned it into youth-centered designs and proposals.

The result of all this collaboration? A Grundy County Health Equity Report, created with and for the people who call this region home. It reflects the shared vision of residents of all ages and lays the groundwork for healthier, more inclusive, and more resilient communities.

This process wasn’t just about plans on paper—it was about connection, trust, and investing in the power of local knowledge. We’re grateful to everyone in Grundy County who helped with this project, shared their stories, and shaped a brighter path forward.