New Bedford 2020 - VHB.com

A City Master Plan New Bedford 2020Moving forward, New Bedford must strive to provide safe, vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods that offer amultitude of uses including: affordable, quality housing choices; good schools; walkable streets; proximity toopen space, parks and playgrounds; and small, local businesses that provide the opportunity to shop for goods,such as groceries, baked goods, and newsstands as well as provide services, such as hair salons, tailors, and drycleaners. Our vision is a city comprised of small village-like settings, each with their own distinct historic andcultural fabric that create dynamic neighborhoods where people meet on the street, buy local goods, and enjoythe experiences of their community.Throughout the civic engagement process, there was a narrow yet significant range of comments regardingneighborhoods and housing. The following issues below were continuously raised throughout the process:> Increase code enforcement activities with a focus on removing blighting influences;> Increase neighborhood stabilization through first-time homebuyer programs and the preservation ofhistorically significant structures and community buildings;> Encourage a balance of housing choices for owners and renters of all ages at various levels of affordability,style, and location (See Figure 6.2);> Keep residential neighborhoods intact while allowing for industrial and commercial growth in strategicallylocated areas;> Develop and support artist live/work space throughout the city with appropriate zoning; and> Address the issue of absentee landlords.Figure 6.2: Occupied Housing by Age of Householder12,00010,0008,0006,0004,0002,00002,325(6.1%)6,760(17.7%)7,659(20.1%) 6,644(17.4%)4,685(12.3%)10,105(26.5%)15 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 and olderSource: 2000 U.S. CensusExisting Conditions and Current InitiativesNeighborhood RevitalizationNew Bedford is a mix of residential, commercial, and mixed-use neighborhoods and a number of factorsinfluence the character and condition of each of these areas. The recent foreclosure crisis and the resultant globaleconomic downturn have stressed neighborhoods around the country. Abandoned houses, vacant lots, emptystorefronts, and a lack of funding—both public and private—to maintain properties and infrastructure, havecombined to impact neighborhoods in a number of ways.Neighborhoods and Housing6-2