Guymon DesignWorks
An IQC team worked with the Texas County Health Department, Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program, and City of Guymon to identify walkability and biking improvements in the community.
View the Final Report Below
In June 2017, the Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) traveled to Guymon, Oklahoma to work with the Texas County Health Department’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program, the City of Guymon, and local partners. Over a 48-hour period, the IQC team observed the downtown area and other important locations for walkability in the community.
Guymon is a growing community of more than 12,000 people, the seat of Texas County, and the largest community in the Oklahoma panhandle nearly 300 miles from the state capitol. The agriculture industry has been a major driver of the economy, with Seaboard Foods processing plant employing thousands in the community. Many migrant workers have been attracted by jobs at Seaboard Foods, making Guymon a diverse community with residents and businesses that reflect Oklahoma culture and new additions from Central America, Africa, and more.
With a relatively stable economy, Guymon has a number of community assets around town to support walking, jogging, cycling and healthy lifestyles. However, these destinations are not fully linked through the community to allow people to use active transportation as part of daily life.
The recommendations in this report are the beginning of a campaign to support walking, biking, and jogging in Guymon. The campaign focuses on making downtown a hub for walkability with safe and comfortable links to walkable destinations.
- Add highway gateways directing people to downtown
- Celebrate the pedestrian character of downtown
- Create a wayfinding campaign originating in the heart of downtown
- Identify candidates for pilot street repair and traffic calming projects