Hyde/Jackson Square Main Streets is a vibrant, diverse commercial and residential district facing many changes.  New commercial and residential development and rapidly changing demographics resulting in residential and commercial gentrification have presented numerous challenges for the community.  In addition, the length of the district, with two distinct “squares” creates a disjointed image with little cohesive qualities.

The students explored:

A group of civic-minded residents teamed with the City of Concord to address coming challenges including projected population expansion of 8000 residents in 20 years, the proposed widening of I-93, a planned Manchester Airport expansion, increasing concern over the preservation of open space, and the creation of urban growth boundaries within the city.  Vision 20/20 for Concord, NH was the result of a major planning grant from the Federal Highway Administration.

The students explored:

The City of Worcester, in partnership with ArtsWorcester and the Arts District Task Force, sought to create an urban design and economic development road map for the revitalization of a half-mile stretch of Main Street between the civic center and Clark University. 

The students explored:

·       How a master plan can create a new arts district and provide a home for artists and cultural activities

The Civic Data Design Lab works with data to understand it for Public Good. We seek to develop alternative practices which can make the work we do with data and images richer, smarter, more relevant, and more responsive to the needs and interested of citizens traditionally on the margins of policy development.

Measuring Density

Undre the sponsorship of the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the studio was set in Singapore and it examined the future of a fifty hectare area in the downtown. The site, known as Pearl’s Hill and York Hill, is prominent topographically, rising 40 to 50 meters above the general level of the core of the city.

On March 27, 2001 students and faculty of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning presented revitalization proposals for Southwest Washington DC to residents and public officials.  The public meeting, at St. Matthew’s Church, was attended by over 200 people and was the culmination of a semester-long studio sponsored by the DC Government’s Planning Office and the Summit Fund for Washington.  The presentation also marked an important milestone in Mayor Williams and the Office of Planning’s Anacostia Waterfront Initiative.

This Planning Study is built upon the existing regional and municipal plans that set forth common goals for the Cardener River corridor. The Planning Study is an exploration of possible implementations that follow from existing plans and from the current circumstances of the four municipalities: Manresa, Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, Callús and Súria.

Graduate students in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, partnered with the City of Lowell Planning Department to review and advance various possibilities for development in Lowell’s Back Central neighborhood. The goals were to address neighborhood quality of life concerns including open space, parking, business mix, and land use; and to articulate actions and strategies consistent with the neighborhood’s vision.