4 research outputs found
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Reconnecting Downtown to the Riverfront. Springfield, MA. Senior Urban Design Studio,
The work of this urban design studio illustrates visions for the revitalization of Springfield’s downtown riverfront through landscape architecture facing the challenges of a dissecting I-91 highway corridor. Re-Connecting people to the riverfront capiÂtalizes on the great Connecticut River and will revitalize the city to attract and engage residents and visitors alike. The proposals foster creating spaces in Riverfront Park for multiple activities such as recreation, places for arts and culture, education and enhancement of the River’s ecology. They further promote pedestrian/bicycle arteries to and along the riverfront that are embedded in a livable, mixed-use, diverse neighborhood.
The work explores a community service learning strategy within the framework of an urban design studio with the goal of revitalizing the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, through sustainable design, planning, and engagement with the community.
This studio produced six tangible visions and are based on three scenarios; 1) Scenario 1keeps the highway I-91 on an elevated level above ground; 2) Scenario 2 lowers I-91 down to an on-ground level; 3) Scenario 3 lowers I-91 underground as a completely or partially covered corridor.
All six design visions share the following recommendations and principles to create a livable and sustainable city that engages the riverfront as a place for people and as a landscape that will be crucial for a great future of Springfield’s downtown: Creating spaces in Riverfront Park that are more centered and generous for multiple activities; add floodplains to improve the ecology of the River and educate the public. Creating pedestrian/bicycle arteries from Main Street to the riverfront. Elimination of on- and off- ramps within the core of downtown to prioritize pedestrian movement to the Connecticut River and reduce noise. Eliminate parking structures underneath the highway for visibility of the River. Redesigning East and West Columbus Avenue as pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly corridors through a road diet and speed reduction. Foster mixed-use development along East Columbus Avenue at the edge of the South End Neighborhood. Connect the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway to Forest Park in the south
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Green Infrastructure for Framingham, Massachusetts: Greenway Planning and Cultural Landscape Design
The senior undergraduate, Bachelors of Landscape Architecture studio at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst developed a town-wide greenway plan for the Town of Framingham’s Department of Community and Economic Development. This conceptual plan connects the town’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources through a network of pedestrian and bike trails. This plan also seeks to connect the diverse neighborhoods within the Town to these resources and provide alternative means of local residents to access jobs, schools, and retail centers. The greenway plan builds on Framingham’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (2013), which identified the need for a regional greenway system to link the town to the many local and regional recreational, cultural, ecological, and economic resources.
This capstone planning and design studio began with an analysis and assessment of the Town of Framingham’s natural, recreational, cultural, and transportation/land use resources. Teams of students developed alternative greenway plans for the town and region, respectively. These plans were synthesized halfway through the class to produce the composite greenway plan shown in this report. For the second half of the class, individual students developed neighborhood and site specific greenway and park designs for key linkages within the greenway network in the rural northeast section of Framingham, industrial village of Saxonville, historic Framingham Center, the Tech Park, and downtown Framingham. These detailed designs form the body of this report