Asheville Invites Public Input on Riverfront Recovery Designs

Community members can explore concept alternatives for parks and infrastructure repairs along the French Broad River.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The City of Asheville is moving into the next phase of the French Broad Riverfront Parks Project and the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Project, and is inviting residents to a drop-in design workshop to view multiple design concepts and visualizations shaped by previous public feedback. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide additional input to help shape the preferred concept designs for the reimagined public spaces.

Why it matters

The French Broad Riverfront and Azalea Parks are important community assets in Asheville, and the city is seeking to make them more resilient and better suited to residents' needs through this public engagement process. By incorporating community feedback, the city aims to create the best possible public spaces along the river.

The details

The community design workshop will be held at A-B Tech Community College, where attendees can explore different concept alternatives for the parks' layouts, infrastructure repairs, environmental resiliency, and recreation offerings. Project teams will be on hand to gather feedback from the public to help shape the preferred designs. The event will also feature activities for children, light refreshments, and Spanish language interpretation.

  • The community design workshop will be held on February 28, 2026.

The players

City of Asheville

The local government of Asheville, North Carolina, which is leading the French Broad Riverfront Parks Project and the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Project.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

After the community design workshop, the project teams will use the public feedback to refine the preferred concept designs for the parks and infrastructure improvements.

The takeaway

By actively engaging the community in the design process, the City of Asheville is ensuring that the reimagined French Broad Riverfront and Azalea Parks will meet the needs and priorities of local residents, creating vibrant and resilient public spaces along the river.