CASE STUDIES I

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - PROJECT INSPIRATION

La Placita de Santurce, the namesake of this project, is a popular plaza and social district in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the day the plaza has a marketplace for local, fresh produce. During the evening Placita de Santurce becomes a hotspot for nightlife activity full of cafes, clubs, restaurants, bars, live music, salsa dancing, and Puerto Rican food, like empanadillas. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the lively social scene and beautiful public street art.

CAMBRIDGE, MA - PLAZAS

“A parking lot for cars transformed into a place for people” (Starlight Square). In 2020, Cambridge, MA, in collaboration with multiple community partners, turned a municipal parking lot into a successful community space. The space called Starlight Square is used for public art, outdoor dining, education, food pantries, church services, outdoor performance, and more. (Gabrilska, 2020)

AMHERST, MA - PARKLETS

Local examples of parklet initiatives and programs can be found in Amherst, Northampton, Somerville, Worcester, and Boston. In 2022, Amherst installed two pilot program parklets featuring ADA accessible outdoor dining areas in their downtown for a restaurant and cafe using grant money from the Regional Economic Development Organization grant program. (BusinessWestStaff, 2022, Merzbach, 2022)

La Placita de Holyoke

WASHINGTON, DC - SHARED STREETS

In 2017, Washington D.C. completed a nine block shared street project in the Wharf District. Considered a success, the curbless streets let “Pedestrians rule” (Chung, 2017) and include street furniture, light poles, bollards, striped paving separating walkways, and a shared middle space (Chung, 2017).

CHICAGO, IL - CANAL WALK

Along the Chicago River, which is a part of an extensive interconnected river and canal system, is the Chicago Riverwalk, a celebrated recreational amenity. A “linear park,” the riverwalk is split into a series of spaces that provide different recreational programs. Several of the spaces allow access or physical connection to the water through steps that lead to the edge. Like the Race Street redesign, the Cove section of the Chicago Riverwalk took inspiration from beach landscapes. (Sasaki)

NORTHAMPTON, MA - STREET CLOSURES

Since 2021, from May to October, Strong Street in Northampton, MA is closed off to cars and serves as a summer-long, block party “pedestrian-only zone.” During “Summer on Strong,” the city provides colorful chairs and tables with shade umbrellas for relaxing and outdoor dining at participating restaurants. People enjoy live music, dance, and shopping. The street is enhanced with an arched entrance, planters, and a brightly painted concrete barrier for cars. (Burnell & Hickey, 2022)