PRECEDENT: WORCESTER FOOD TRUCK + CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
4.3 INFILL VACANT LOTS WITH POP-UP PARKS TO SERVE EXISTING RESIDENTS & NEW USES WORCESTER, MA Food trucks are great ways to activate a plaza or an open space. Worcester hosts annual food truck and craft beer festival to bring people and various cuisines together.
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The Northwest corner of the study area (roughly North of Olive and West of 16th street) lacks access to adequate open space, due in part to an overall lack of park space and to the existing barriers like wide streets that serve to separate many from the Gateway Mall. The northwest corner of Downtown also includes vacant lots and surface parking making it a prime location for future development but also the potential addition of new open spaces to serve existing and future residents. These conditions make this area well suited for a flexible approach to providing additional open space, one that tests out possible spaces through temporary activation that can then build and learn from successes as well as respond to shifting conditions. These interventions can range from short-term street closures and food truck activation, to medium-term installation and seasonal gardens, to permanent community-oriented gardens and parks to serve residents. Providing a range of possibilities will enable the ability to tailor open spaces to evolving needs.
A. TEST POP UP PROGRAMMING ON CITY-OWNED LOTS City-owned lots are ideal grounds to test a range of new programming options. These should be done at all times but certainly in concert with MLS, Blues and Cardinals games as well as other Downtown events. Figure 72: October Open House open space activity results