Students from West Virginia University (WVU) are bringing fresh ideas to community revitalization efforts in Allegany County. Through a partnership with the WVU Landscape Architecture Program, the City of Cumberland, and Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD), the Wills Creek corridor in Cumberland, Maryland, has been the focus of a student-led design project to consider its potential as a central connector for the city and a catalyst for economic prosperity.

Wills Creek, a 38.6-mile-long tributary of the North Branch Potomac River, has long been both an asset and a challenge for the city of Cumberland. Concrete walls added in the 1950s to mitigate flooding have effectively protected the area but also created a physical barrier between the east and west sides.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project focuses on improving Wills Creek’s role in the community, examining how environmental and social design could create new opportunities for businesses, residents, and visitors.

The initiative, led by Dr. Stefania Staniscia, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture in WVU’s School of Design and Community Development, gave senior students in the landscape architecture program an opportunity to apply their expertise to real-world challenges while encouraging fresh perspectives on how the creek might be used in the future. This valuable offering from WVU allows landscape architecture students to apply their skills to real-world community design challenges.

One of those students, Erik Moses, saw the project as an exciting opportunity to put his skills to use. “At first glance, Wills Creek is almost like a scar through the city, but if you look at it in a new way, it could be the new central vein that flows life into Cumberland,” he notes about the corridor. His team proposed a multipurpose, mixed-use green corridor emphasizing accessibility, livability, and tourism. Their design also considered ways to connect existing and proposed urban green spaces along the creek. Moses and his team emphasized strengthening the connection between both sides of the creek and downtown Cumberland to the east, as well as between the creek and the GAP Trail to the west. 

Each WVU student team approached the project in phases, beginning with site analysis, followed by a master plan for the entire corridor, and culminating in specific design concepts. They carefully considered their corridor proposals not only for potential community benefits but also for any possible negative impacts. This allowed them to develop design concepts focused on water management, aesthetics, and usability.

Students also explored ways to bridge neighborhoods together by proposing greenways, pedestrian bridges, and shared public spaces along Wills Creek. By reconnecting the east and west sides of the city, these designs explored ways to create new opportunities for social and economic exchange, which are essential components for long-term, sustainable urban design.  

For Allegany County and the City of Cumberland, reimagining Wills Creek’s potential allows for discussions on how revitalization efforts might stimulate economic growth. Adam Strott, ACECD Economic Development Specialist, notes, “This initiative is about reimagining Wills Creek’s potential—exploring how we can transform an underutilized brownfield site into a dynamic public space that attracts investment, creates opportunities, and enhances the quality of life for our residents.”

“Great thought was put into this project by the students,” adds Ruth Davis-Rogers, Historic Preservation Planner and Grants Management for the City of Cumberland. “I love how they creatively bridged the built environment in and around Wills Creek in such a way that the buildings, landscape and architecture interact and complement each other.”

Dr. Staniscia emphasized that academic exercises like this help explore different ways to think about flood mitigation while considering new uses for the creek. “Wills Creek doesn’t have to be the way it is,” she explained. “There are so many ways to address flooding issues…and I'm not saying making it to return to what it was; that would be impossible. But in my mind—that's the biggest challenge—to see the creek from a different perspective.”

The Wills Creek project exemplifies the impact and necessity of community growth partnerships between local governments and academic institutions.

“When we work with these communities, it helps us professionally. It’s intimidating at first—like meeting with the mayor or city officials—but we learn how to communicate and propose ideas,” Erik Moses reflected on the learning experience. “And for the community, it’s exciting [for them] to see people who care about their future.”

Aligned with Allegany County’s broader economic development strategy, this spirit of collaboration drives innovative solutions and strong partnerships, creating a foundation for sustainable growth.

While the Wills Creek project is conceptual, it provides a vision that county officials can use to guide future planning and development. Small, high-impact changes (such as lowering sections of the creek walls or adding pedestrian-friendly features) could be implemented in the short term while larger, long-term interventions are developed. These designs could serve as a blueprint for the county to secure state and federal grants and fund incremental improvements inspired by the students’ proposals.

Perhaps most importantly, the project has already sparked a conversation about what Wills Creek can become. By transforming an underutilized space into a central asset, Cumberland has an opportunity to strengthen its identity as a connected, thriving community.

“The students help push the boundaries of what’s possible in a place,” Dr. Staniscia says, considering how this project extends beyond the classroom to influence real-world change. “My hope is that piece by piece, some of the more feasible ideas will become a reality in the near future.”

Explore​​ the WVU students’ project designs here to learn more about their vision for Wills Creek, explore their project designs here. For other stories about Allegany County’s progress and partnerships!