New London, Connecticut, like many victims of the 1970s, was saddled with a harsh, ineffective public plaza at the heart of its downtown. Planners are working to return the plaza to its historic form.
"Longtime residents and visitors to New London remember the great open area known as the Parade in front of the historic railroad station. The Parade was a classic public plaza, a space for gatherings, a hub where people coming into the city by boat, train, bus or car could meet or be met.
But as was so often the case in Connecticut's cities, an unfortunate 1970s redesign of the area raised the plaza, crowded out usable space and separated the Parade from the rest of downtown.
Instead of having a public space that enhanced the area, the city was left with a smaller, less inviting and more dangerous space that detracted from the city's geographical integrity."
FULL STORY: Love the Parade
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie