Penn State Students Return To Present Final Projects

Dr. Alec Spangler brought his students from his Penn State Landscape Architecture Trail Lands Studio (Fall Semester 2022) to the Williamsburg Community Center for their final project presentations on Dec. 6. Earlier in the semester students met with community members at the Williamsburg Public Library to gather ideas for inspiration.

"This is the most involvement we've had with any community we've helped," student Evee Sarkissan (shown) said.

Students focused their individual projects on specific geographic areas to increase interest in the Lower Trail as part of a regional trail network bringing economic growth to Williamsburg. The students focused on two areas, Riverside North and Downtown. The students participating were Mary Thornton, Andrew Knerr, John Hurlburt, Maia Egan, Maeve Fogarty, Alec Gerszberg, Evee Sarkissan and Aubrey Miller.

The students were enthusiastic about their projects. "We just adapted the ideas from the library presentations," student Andrew Knerr said. "We really appreciated the community's involvement - those ideas really helped us."

Williamsburg Borough Council has formed a Trail Town committee of community members to evaluate, facilitate, and implement these and other trail town ideas for the benefit of the borough.