ENRICHING AN UNUTILIZED UNDERPASS

Finding Opportunities in an Overlooked Underpass to Stitch Three Neighborhoods 

Project At a Glance

Client:
City of New Haven
Location:
New Haven, CT
Program:
Visioning & Placemaking
Project Team:

City of New Haven,  Alder, & Community Partners

site ecologyhealth biophiliaequity inclusivitycultural placemaking

 

Project Details

The 'Neighborhood Stitch' is borne of an aspirational vision to develop an overlooked and unutilized parcel lying beneath an intricate system of highway overpasses. This project also lies at a key intersection between three New Haven neighborhoods: Fair Haven, Cedar Hill, and East Rock. The location provides a unique opportunity to enhance the relationship between these neighborhoods both physically and culturally. As the neighborhood 'stitch', the project weaves together active and creative resources through a celebration of culture and movement. 

 

GOALS

1. SAFETY: Place emphasis on pedestrian activity and multi-modal connectivity by adding public realm programming uses and slowing automobile traffic. 

2. SENSE OF PLACE: Create a distinct sense of place by developing a series of parks and plazas (‘Mills to Hills’ Park) that serves a multi-generational audience with a mixture of art and outdoor active recreation spaces. 

• Active Recreation: Calisthenics park, skate park, mountain bike park, and opportunity for activities along the Mill River
• Arts Destination: Professional artists’ mural and lighting installations (in a mentoring relationship with local students) activate multiple surfaces in the ‘Neighborhood Stitch’, weaving below, above, and through the barriers that fractured the neighborhood. Sculpted earth topography activates the ground plane and provides additional surfaces for artists’ activation and places for community gatherings. 
• Plazas: Larger-scale multi-use areas are engaged with programming such as night markets and cultural celebrations. 
• Building Vitality: Create a unique and sustainable identity for the ‘Neighborhood Stitch’ through branding and an active management organization. 

3. COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROGRAMMING:  Continue to work closely with the community to discuss and share ideas about the potential of the site. This bottom-up approach heavily factors in community voices into design decisions, helping to cultivate long-lasting commitment to the site and will help generate a sustained excitement around the positive changes it hopes to bring to the community.

 

EXPLORE ADDITIONAL NCDS PROJECTS:

Hill South Placemaking & Development  - Newhallville: A Multi-Municipal Placemaking Vision - Newhallville: Canal Market - Neighborhood Sensitive Infill Development