Public Space and Sustainability

Protecting and preserving Hillsborough’s small-town charm and community character is a top priority for the town. Hillsborough seeks to provide healthy public spaces that encourage relationships and showcase the natural and cultural resources of the town.

The division uses placemaking strategies and sustainability principles to ensure a healthy environment while also providing inviting spaces where residents and visitors can explore and congregate. Connectivity and accessibility are key goals. The division focuses on building accessible bicycle and pedestrian connections between neighborhoods and area destinations. Because beauty and function are integral parts of a well-built urban environment, the division looks for opportunities to integrate public art into the landscape.

From neighborhood parks to greenways, Hillsborough offers many opportunities for recreation. For more information, see the recreation facilities page on this website.

The division oversees grounds maintenance at the three town-maintained cemeteries. The Public Works Division oversees cemetery operations and burials at the Town Cemetery. For more information, see the cemeteries page on this website.

Bee Hotel

Dedicated in November 2017, the bee hotel provides a home for the 90 species of bees native to the area, many of which live solitary lives and seek a safe, tunnel-like dwelling to lay eggs and care for their young. The bee hotel is located in the Gold Park pollinator garden, 415 Dimmocks Mill Road, along the Riverwalk greenway, south of the railroad trestle.The bee hotel was commissioned by a partnership of the Hillsborough Tree Board, Hillsborough Tourism Development Authority and the Orange County Arts Commission.

A public call for design submissions was issued in June 2017, with a selection committee choosing a design submitted by Orange County landscape designer and builder David Hinkle in July 2017.

Hinkle has been a woodcarver for many years, and his design features several carved elements, including cedar log corner posts with bee carvings. In addition to cedar and bamboo, the design makes use of recycled and salvaged materials where possible.

The bee hotel and pollinator garden are maintained by the Orange County Master Gardener Program, a program of the Orange County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Giraffes

In October 2023, Durham artist TJ Christiansen installed Perpetual Bond on the south side of Town Hall, located at 101 E. Orange St. The town purchased the art piece depicting mother and child giraffes with $15,000 of funds donated from former Mayor Tom Stevens for the purchase and installation of artwork on the Town Hall Campus. 

Perpetual Bond is made of reclaimed steel and is 14 feet tall and 8 feet wide and long. It was featured in the Uproar Public Art Festival in Orange County earlier in 2023. 

The town has contributed funds to other art works in the past, but Perpetual Bond is the first piece of permanent art that the town has purchased.

The Public Space and Sustainability Division studies and oversees most major town construction projects, including advertising for and accepting bids. See the public projects and  bid postings pages on this website for more information.

Three of the town's appointed advisory boards are supported by Public Space and Sustainability Division staff:

• Parks and Recreation Board — advises the town on issues related to park facilities and works to implement the recommendations in the parks master plans, which are the board's guiding documents.
• Tree Board — works to plant trees in town parks and on town property and rights of way. The Tree Board also provides public education about tree care and oversees the Tree City USA and Bee City USA programs.

The town is developing a comprehensive sustainability plan to advance its sustainability and resiliency goals, including its clean energy pledge. The plan will guide future development and the transition to 100% clean energy, balancing environmental stewardship, resiliency and racial justice with smart growth that will allow for a thriving economy and quality of life for the residents of Hillsborough. For more information, see the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan page on this website.

The division has won the following awards:

North Carolina Marvin Collins Award: Honorable Mention ― for outstanding planning on the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan.

• Presented by: North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association in 2023
• Work performed by: Planning and Economic Development Division and Public Space and Sustainability Division

Engineering Excellence ― for planning and mapping on the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan.

• Presented by: American Council of Engineering Companies in 2023
• Work performed by: Planning and Economic Development Division and Public Space and Sustainability Division

People's Choice Award ― for the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan

• Presented by: American Council of Engineering Companies in 2023
• Work performed by: Planning and Economic Development Division and Public Space and Sustainability Division