Fletcher is a community of just 7,000 people in the Blue Ridge Mountains south of Asheville. With a rapidly growing population—and just five square miles to accommodate it—town officials sought to redevelop a 30 acre site to create a pedestrian-friendly town center. Walter Robbs created a Master Plan that achieved more than simply redeveloping the downtown: it re-envisioned Fletcher as a vibrant, mixed-use “Heart of Fletcher.”

Our idea was to create a true ‘sense of place.’ Leveraging form-based code land use regulations, we showed officials how we could enlarge the focus area over time to include the larger historic commercial center. At the heart of it all was the creation of a new Town Hall that would serve as the focal point of a community that connected seamlessly with surrounding neighborhoods while remaining true to itself.