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

INTRODUCTION
LANDSCAPE
While Pawtucket’s downtown appears a built area of urban landscape, it
significantly contributes to a larger regional ecosystem and environment.
This contribution currently is fairly poor-- with large amounts of impermeable
surfaces, asphalt, and automobile transportation, the natural systems are either
limited or overwhelmed with precipitation, wildlife, pollutants and all aspects of
biological life.
The Landscape planning in the PDDP intends to help improve the management
of these systems so that the downtown’s contributions are positive to the
water, air, soil and habitat systems. The PDDP team also recognizes the critical
importance of the Blackstone River and its relationship to downtown and
intends to enhance access while enhancing its renewal.
The landscape projects included in the PDDP include ways to link existing
public spaces, add publicly accessible parks, increase permeable surfaces
and vegetation, add trees, and encourage principles that tie greenspace and
people together. These proposals include developing:
DOWNTOWN GATEWAYS
A TREE ORDINANCE
A GREEN STREET NETWORK
DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT FRAME THE RIVER
THE BRIDGE PARK EAST AND
THE RE-ALIGNMENT OF PARK PLACE
119