PAWTUCKET DOWNTOWN DESIGN PLAN FINAL ... - VHB.com

INTRODUCTION
STREETSCAPE AND PEDESTRIAN SYSTEMS
Streetscape can mean a variety of types of changes to the street: sidewalk
improvements, street furniture, signage, lighting and landscape elements. The
PDDP has focused on more infrastructural projects that require more major
construction to establish a solid foundation for downtown improvements, than
surface treatments of furnishings. This is partially due to the implementation
strategy goals of the city, but also because Pawtucket’s downtown has had
a history of more surface apparent streetscape changes, particularly on Main
Street, that have mostly been perceived as “failures” in that they did not spark
commercial and retail growth. The high expectations of these projects limited
the sense of their success.
The PDDP team has been concerned about suggesting projects that are
focused on “beautification” or designing elements that simply dress up the
downtown. Because the downtown area is growing slowly and organically,
it seems appropriate that the layers of street furniture or more decorative
elements be added by local business owners, residents and institutions.
Businesses that invest in improvements are also more likely to monitor, maintain
and develop them. The PDDP thus includes areas for temporary plantings,
street trees, furnishing types, and previous signage and banner work completed
by Highchair designhaus for implementation to support an existing downtown
neighborhood organization that is pursuing smaller-scale improvements.
One of the best opportunities for landscape and streetscape improvements are
the new gateway spaces created by intersection diets, specifically at Pleasant
Street and East Avenue Extension; Broadway and Exchange Street; George
Street and East Avenue Extension; and anticipated to be at Broad Street and
Exchange Street. These new pieces of public land can express the unique
characteristics of their locations.
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