Featured Articles
Lewiston Wins $30 Million Choice Neighborhood Grant!
We received the FANTASTIC news today that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to fund the Growing Our Tree Streets Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan in Downtown Lewiston. We couldn’t be more excited for the Tree Streets community, the City of Lewiston, Healthy Neighborhoods and all the project partners. Congrats to everyone involved!!
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Chinatown Stitch workshop kicks off next phase of project
With the first phase of community engagement complete, the project team is diving into design options for the highway cap. “This is a chance to not only do something great for the city but to address some longstanding historic harms that were done to this community when the expressway was built,” Chris Puchalsky, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability.
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We had a great time showing off Philly at the APA conference
We had a blast showing off Philly, building new connections and reconnecting with partners and friends at the American Planning Conference. Our sessions and mobile workshops explored South Philly, Chinatown, Bridesburg , East Fairmount Park, and Swim Philly.
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It's great to be back in Macon!
Macon's transformation since our first Macon Action Plan (MAP) was completed in 2015 has been nothing short of stunning. We were back in town in April for two separate but inter-related projects: to kick off the third iteration of MAP and to join the Reimagining the Civic Commons Studio in Macon.
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Vine Street Expressway Cap.
Check out the Philadelphia Inquirer article about Philly's plan to cap the Vine Street Expressway to reconnect Chinatown. We are excited to be a part of the team working on this transformational project.
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Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program
Congratulations to the grantees of the USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program! We are so excited to see our clients in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh taking the next steps in addressing the harm caused by earlier transportation infrastructure decisions. 1) The Stitch: Reconnecting a Torn Urban Fabric - Atlanta 2) Reconnecting Our Chinatown: Reclaiming Philadelphia's Vine Street Expressway (I-676) - Philadelphia 3) Manchester Reunited: Reconnecting Manchester to The River and The Region - Pittsburgh
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Downtown Fort Worth Inc. focuses on wins for city
Successful downtowns have places to play, places to sit and places to grow, Page said. He showed examples of an urban farm in downtown Detroit and an alley in Philadelphia revamped into a plaza. Interface Studio is working with Downtown Fort Worth Inc. on its Plan 2033, a road map to guide development for the next decade. The firm also is working with the city on a similar plan for the Las Vegas Trail area. The firm is surveying residents and downtown stakeholders about what they want to see downtown. Interface will use those results to try to find what Page called “threads of connection,” where people agree on what they want for the city’s urban core. If you do the engagement well and reach out to a lot of people, Page said, by the time the draft comes out, people will agree on about 90% of it, Page said.
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North 10 Philadelphia Releases "All In Together: The Hunting Park - East Tioga Neighborhood Plan"
We are excited to announce the release of a neighborhood plan for the Hunting Park - East Tioga community of Philadelphia, completed by Interface Studio and Lamar Wilson Associates for North10 Philadelphia with a grant from the H. Chase Lenfest Foundation. Working with the HP-ET community over the past year has been energizing and inspiring...
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Community input sought in Montgomery’s ‘Downtown Action Plan’
Montgomery residents were invited to attend the “Defining Downtown Open House” to weigh in on future developments in the capital city. The open house event is part of the research to complete the city’s downtown action plan. The action plan is an opportunity to build on achievements made downtown by defining the next strategy for growth and investments. City leaders say the 2007 Downtown Montgomery Master Plan provided the foundation for the plan, which will focus on enabling the community to continue this vision forward through strategic projects, policies, and programs.
Read ArticleRichardson Launches New Office of Innovation & Placemaking Initiatives
We are excited to see the City of Richardson making strides toward implementing their vision for reinvestment and redevelopment of key areas of the city including the Collins-Arapaho district that was the focus of our 2018 TOD and Innovation District Study. The city has announced the creation of the Office of Innovation & Placemaking Initiatives, which will manage six priority reinvestment and redevelopment areas. The new office will also oversee operations and programming for the Richardson Innovation Quarter Headquarters (IQ HQ) which is slated to open in 2022.
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Downtown Challenge Grants awarded to 23 Macon projects
Congratulations to the people of Macon, Georgia, and the 23 winning projects of Downtown Challenge Grants! Each project will push forward the goals of the Macon Action Plan and help implement our recommendations. Some of the winning projects include: a mural by the Macon-Bibb Transit Authority; bike racks, bus stop seating, and lighting from Bike Walk Macon; and roving pop up wildlife events from the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Can't wait to see these awesome programs take shape!
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