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Cross-Cutting
HCED has a long-standing partnership with the Boston Main Streets Program that has included:
The core of HCED's Boston Main Street partnership is 11.439 Revitalizing Urban Main Streets. This practicum course brings together faculty and students from the City Design and Development and Housing Community and Economic Development Program Group to prepare plans for neighborhood Main Street districts. The spring 2011 class is working on a plan for the East Boston Main Street district'a vibrant commercial center in one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods and a historic gateway for immigrants. This news article describes on a student March 2011 student presentations on their analysis of the districts: Boston Globe Article
Revitalizing Urban Main Streets focuses on the physical and economic renewal of urban neighborhood Main Streets by combining classroom work with an applied class project. The course content covers three broad areas:
Students work with a client neighborhood Main Street program to analyze its commercial district's physical and economic conditions, develop a framework for a revitalization plan and prepare the plan. An example of a final plan prepared by students in Revitalizing Urban Main Streets can be found here: Mission Hill Main Streets Plan