Rural character preservation, protection, and enhancement : a program for Knox County, Tennessee

Rural character preservation is a subject that has received a fair amount of recent attention in both the planning profession and the general press. This thesis explores ways that the programs and policies that have been used elsewhere in the United States might be applied to Knox County.

Rural character is defined and the justification for its preservation is presented. A number of conceptual studies and applied rural character preservation programs are described and their applicability to Knox County is analyzed.

The rural lands of Knox County are delineated and the elements that contribute to their character are identified. A number of figures are presented to graphically display the rural character elements found in Knox County.

A model rural character preservation program is presented. The program is based on the situation Knox County is currently facing and on the resources it has at its disposal. Staff members at Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission were consulted to provide guidance and information in the development of the model program.

The study concludes with a graphic presentation of how the model program might be applied to an actual tract of land in Knox County.