 | Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods Initiative
Springfield, MassachusettsAbstractThe City of Springfield, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority have joined together with the Indian Orchard Citizens Council and the East Springfield Neighborhood Council, Inc. to undertake the Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, Strategy 2000, a project that will move the region's land use, economic development and transportation plans off the shelf and into the public arena under one common agenda- sustainable development. This comprehensive and innovative proposal galvanizes the links between the three regional plans and brings the strategies to life at the neighborhood level- ultimately giving lessons and examples back to the regional community. The industrial core cities of New England are all faced with the challenge of accommodating industrial activity and brownfield re-development within the context of established residential areas. This interface between industrial and residential uses creates massive transportation problems as trucks, cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists compete for the use of the roads. Additional conflicts arise as industry seeks to expand into residential areas, adding traffic to residential streets, lowering housing values and eliminating open space. Instead of allowing the industrial city to decay, it is imperative that we strengthen these neighborhoods as mixed use areas that offer jobs, housing and access to services and recreation in one densely developed area. The project partners recognize that effective transportation and transit systems will be the cornerstone of this project's success, ultimately adding to the city's appeal as a place to live and do business. Many of the industrial neighborhoods in our region, including Indian Orchard and East Springfield, are home to a diverse population of residents and workers, both English and non-English speaking; low, middle and high income; educated and non-educated. In addition to its residents, both neighborhoods see a daily mass migration of commuters enter and leave the area as each shift changes. The project partners recognize that in order to implement sustainable development policies and practices at the neighborhood level and ultimately the regional level, there must be a great deal of grassroots support in place that is inclusive of each of these groups. The project partners will develop, with the public and private sector, a tool box for sustainable development that can be understood, supported and implemented by the public, the private sector and the policy makers. The toolbox will include not only an action plan for an efficient and clean transportation system, but will be integrated with and strengthened by additional incentives for mixed land use patterns and a healthy natural environment. The Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, Strategy 2000 will reveal the costs and benefits of re-creating the mill town and traditional neighborhood pattern of development that locates jobs, housing, services, and centers of trade in one central location. Further, this model will show how revitalization of this pattern in the urban core cities can alleviate the demand for sprawling suburban development and alleviate the needs for costly new transportation infrastructures both locally and regionally. The result of the project will be a model for a sustainable community, endorsed by the neighborhood residents, developers, major employers and the local officials that ties future economic development to existing and potential intermodal transportation options. This endorsement will support implementation as one of the city-owned brownfield sites in this area is redeveloped as a final part of the project. Most importantly, the project will demonstrate the best techniques for educating a very diverse public on the costs and benefits of sustainable development practices. Previous Page |
