Downtown Master Plan at the 4th of July Parade
On Friday, July 4, 2025, the Downtown Master Plan team kicked off public engagement at Lexington’s 4th of July Parade and Festival. While tabling at the Art Market during the celebration, the project team talked to hundreds of festival-goers about their vision for Downtown Lexington. The team also conducted a voting activity to get a sense of the most important things people want to see more of Downtown. They received 1,383 votes in response to the question “What would make Downtown Lexington feel more welcoming?” with the categories listed below:
More places to shop and dine
More jobs and employment opportunities
More things to do/destinations
More parks, plazas, and open spaces
More places to live
Better connectivity to neighborhoods
As shown in the chart below, the most popular category was more parks, plazas, and open spaces, with 375 total votes.
What would make Downtown Lexington more welcoming?
The voting activity also included a write in option for topics not listed. In this section, and in conversations with participants, we heard a variety of priorities, including:
Cars, Parking, and Streets: Several participants wrote in or mentioned that they would like to see more free or affordable parking downtown. Others mentioned they would like it to be easier to use existing parking options, and noted that many parking lots have frustrating apps or websites by phone, instead of simply feeding a meter. A handful of participants mentioned that they would like there to be fewer cars downtown in general.
Walking and Biking: Many participants wrote in that they would like to see more bike trails and running as well as biking paths downtown.
Trees and Greenery: Several participants mentioned wanting to see more trees, greenery, pollinator gardens, and nature Downtown.
A Grocery Store: Several participants specifically mentioned that they would like to have an accessible grocery store in downtown Lexington.
Housing: In addition to the voting activity, several participants mentioned the need for more housing downtown, particularly affordable housing or housing for families. A handful of participants suggested limiting Airbnbs to increase housing options.
Activities: Some participants mentioned specific activities they would like to see downtown, including a roller-skating area, a zoo, music and art, and a museum.
