Designing Downtown Existing Conditions
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The Deerfield River separates the downtown corridor, with commercial buildings on both the Buckland (State Street) and Shelburne (Bridge Street) sides, and the Iron Bridge and pedestrian Bridge of Flowers linking the two. The vast majority of the downtown is paved, with the exception of the steep riverbanks, a steep and wooded area south of Bridge Street, and two vacant lots on Bridge Street that are grown over with weeds. Along both Bridge and State Streets, there are some small trees, planted along the sidewalks. Most of the buildings downtown stand three stories high, and many have flat rooftops. They house shops and restaurants on the ground floor and residences above. There are several parking lots scattered throughout downtown, and wide sidewalks welcome pedestrians.
The Future: Conceptual Design One goal of the Shelburne Falls Food Security Plan is that the village serves as a model to other communities seeking to produce their own food. By incorporating food production into the downtown corridor, the village demonstrates different techniques for growing diverse types of food, thus educating people about the many ways in which they could grow their own. Visible projects in the downtown exemplify a community determined to reach the goal of attaining food security and beautify the public realm.
B – Rooftop gardens are planted in containers, raised beds, or greenhouses on some flat-roofed buildings. Buildings must be assessed for structural integrity and adequate access feasibility. In addition to providing food, rooftop gardens eliminate impervious surfaces, minimizing the amount of run-off flowing into the stormwater system. C – Greening the sidewalks with the addition of planter boxes and hanging baskets full of crops along the commercial district makes visible the efforts of residents to support a local food system. D – A demonstration garden at the library encourages residents and visitors alike to see how a productive and diverse residential-scale garden functions, then to enter the library to procure information and resources on growing their own food. E – Vacant lots are repurposed as community gardens or used as sites for A weekly farmer’s markets to bring greenery, community energy, and visible food production into downtown. F – Empty industrial buildings are repurposed to house community food processing and storage facilities.
Design Elements Proposed features of this design reflect the site conditions, taking advantage of available spaces for growing food in a public area. A – Bridge of Food and Flowers, a famous landmark, demonstrates the community’s vision for local food production by growing flowering plants that produce flowers too.
THE SHELBURNE FALLS FOOD SECURITY PLAN: PHASE ONE
The landmark Bridge of Flowers becomes the Bridge of Food