OCTOBER 2011
HEART OF NORTHAMPTON
This is an urban design proposal for the City of Northampton, where we would remove Rt66 traffic in downtown by connecting it to I-91 thru Conz Street while very importantly bringing the Mill River back plus adding pond to the center town in an enlarged Pulaski Park.
Following a series of development schemes, public involvement and much controversy over the character of a centrally located space in this small New England town, our office entered into the process of creating an alternative design, called "The Heart of Northampton".
The design shows Pulaski Park tripled to the rear of Old South Street, making new water front real estate, while tying a new Historic Mill River park and Veteran's Field park into Downtown, Maplewood/Conz & West Street Smith campus expanded Green Street area. This is so that Route 66 efficiently connects to I-91. It will allow Route 66 traffic to flow best to I-91 down Conz Street. This will remove traffic from three neighborhoods and a campus while quickening emergency access to 25% of Northampton via Rt-66.
[1] The city did not stuff an over sized mass of "taxable space" into the Heart of town, but instead improved what is there. Pulaski park was a dead end, less than critical mass space which can some day be tripled in size while connecting both the east and west economic communities to downtown. This serves and enhances the downtown, the Maplewood Street and Conz Street areas and the new West Street/Smith neighborhood. This is the rejuvenation of commercial activity on "Green Street" and its expansion onto West Street after Route 66 is removed from ending there in traffic fumes at the towns worst intersection near Forbes library.
[2] This expands Pulaski Park plus ties the new Historic Mill River park to Veteran's Field Park and adding foot traffic around a pond fountain water feature with the river to all commerce around downtown by creating maximum circulation of all transportation systems
[3] foot, bike, stroller, wheelchair and automobile with the quickest emergency access.
The design shows Pulaski Park tripled to the rear of Old South Street, making new water front real estate, while tying a new Historic Mill River park and Veteran's Field park into Downtown, Maplewood/Conz & West Street Smith campus expanded Green Street area. This is so that Route 66 efficiently connects to I-91. It will allow Route 66 traffic to flow best to I-91 down Conz Street. This will remove traffic from three neighborhoods and a campus while quickening emergency access to 25% of Northampton via Rt-66.
[1] The city did not stuff an over sized mass of "taxable space" into the Heart of town, but instead improved what is there. Pulaski park was a dead end, less than critical mass space which can some day be tripled in size while connecting both the east and west economic communities to downtown. This serves and enhances the downtown, the Maplewood Street and Conz Street areas and the new West Street/Smith neighborhood. This is the rejuvenation of commercial activity on "Green Street" and its expansion onto West Street after Route 66 is removed from ending there in traffic fumes at the towns worst intersection near Forbes library.
[2] This expands Pulaski Park plus ties the new Historic Mill River park to Veteran's Field Park and adding foot traffic around a pond fountain water feature with the river to all commerce around downtown by creating maximum circulation of all transportation systems
[3] foot, bike, stroller, wheelchair and automobile with the quickest emergency access.