Providence Plans Pedestrian Oasis for Downtown

"Not unfamiliar with daring urban design endeavors, Providence, RI is gearing up for a $20 million transformation of Kennedy Plaza, a major transportation hub and park dating to 1848 in the city’s downtown," says Gruen. "The overhaul designed by Providence-based Union Studio Architects was announced in late April and call for upholding the plaza’s principal position as a public-transit terminal, preserving the 2002 intermodal station."

"The new Kennedy Plaza scheme calls for building a public marketplace and new parks in area that was once dedicated to the bus transit center," she explains. "By reorganizing bus access through the square, the city hopes to improve pedestrian safety and provide an easier transit experience."