New Prospects for New England

New Prospects for New England Fast Tracking High-Speed Rail and Regional Economic Renewal in Connect cut and Rhode Island University of Pennsylvania, Stuart Weitzman School of Design Master of City Planning, Spring 2019

Acknowledgments The studio wishes to thank our faculty, Dean Fritz Steiner and Professor of Practice Bob Yaro, and the dozens of people in New England and the North of England who advised the studio. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the people, listed below, who helped organize our Manchester charrette and field visits in the North of England in February 2019.

Special thanks are due to Vincent Goodstadt, who organized the Manchester Charrette, and Michael Henson, who hosted the Charrette at Turner & Townsend’s Manchester offices.

We would also like to thank our partners at the University of Texas at Austin, led

by Professors Ming Zhao and Lisa LoftusOtway, who joined us for the Manchester Charrette. The Studio and Manchester Charrette were sponsored by the CM2 university research consortium, and funded by the US Department of Transportation.

We also deeply appreciate the help that Kip Bergstrom, Glendowlyn Thames, Erik Johnson and Patrick Pinnell provided to organize our Hartford, Connecticut Workshop in March 2019. Finally,

Advisors:

University of Texas at Austin Faculty & Charrette Participants:

Kip Bergstrom, Rebooting New England & CTNext

Ming Zhao

Vincent Goodstadt, University of Manchester & UK2070 Commission Emily Hultquist, Capitol Region Council of Governments

Charrette UK Participants:

David Kooris, CT Department of Economic Development

Jim Steer, Founder and Director, Steer Davies Gleave

Spencer Meyer, Highstead Foundation and New England Wildlands & Woodlands Project

Cecilia Wong, Manchester

Foster Nichols, WSP

Ian Wray, Heseltine Institute, University of Manchester

Mark Pisano, University of Southern California Glen Thames, CTNext and Hartford City Council Ian Wray, University of Liverpool Lyle Wray, Capitol Governments

Region

Council

of

Manchester Charrette: Coordinator: Vincent Goodstadt, University of Manchester and the UK2070 Commission

Presenters

Professor,

and

University

of

David Williams, Managing Director, Turner & Townsend Williams, Managing Townsend

Director,

Turner

&

Lord Bob Kerslake, Chair, UK2070 Commission Nicola Headlam, Head of Northern Powerhouse, BEIS Industrial Strategy Fellow, Cities and Local Growth Unit – a partnership between BEIS and MHCLG

Sir Bob Kerslake, Chair, UK2070 Commission

Sarah Longlands, (Commissioner)

Michael Henson, Turner & Townsend

Chris Murray, Director of Core Cities UK

Siobhan Campbell, Turner & Townsend

Professor John Tomaney, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London UCL

All of these advisors and others are listed below and brief bios of our advisors are included at the back of this report.Studio 2

Lisa Loftus-Oftway

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Director,

IPPR

North

Councillor Judith Blake, Leader, Leeds City Council (Commissioner)

Tom Riordan, Chief Executive, Leeds City Council

Northern Powerhouse Countryside Tour Leaders:

Neil McInroy, Chief Executive, CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies)

Leeds:

Emily Hultquist, CRCOG

Eve Roodhouse – Chief Officer Economic Development

Robert Orr

Emma Degg, Chief Executive, North West Business Leadership Team (Commissioner) David Lutton, Executive Director, London First

City

/ Law School Lyle Wray, CRCOG

Lee Arnell – Executive Officer Regeneration

Patrick Pinnell JD Messick

Ed Parham, Director, Space Syntax

Wendy Earl – Head of Visitor Economy & Inward Investment

Jonathan Spruce, Interim Strategy Director, Transport for the North (TfN)

Grace Ellinor – Regeneration Support Officer

Felix Reyes

Manchester:

Toni Gold

Peter Nears, Strategic Planning Director, Peel Holdings Simon Pringle, Director, Steer Group Professor Gillian Bristow, Dean of Research for the College of Arts, Cardiff University (Commissioner) Trudi Elliott, Common Wealth Association of Planners (Commissioner) Michael Henson, Local Government, (Commissioner)

Associate Turner &

Director Townsend

Sioban Campbell, Executive Local Government, Turner & Townsend Vincent Goodstadt; UK2070 University of Manchester

Andreas Shulze Baing, Professor, University of Manchester

Sheffield:

Sandy Frye

University of Pennsylvania: Kate Daniels

Alasdair Rae, Professor, University of Sheffield

Kait Ellis

Liverpool:

Lisa Servon

Ian Wray, Heseltine Institute, University of Liverpool

Tom Daniels John Landis Ken Steif

Peak District National Park: John Scott, Director of Conservation & Planning, Peak District National Park

Commission,

Vincent Reina Francesca Ammon Marilyn Taylor

Hartford Workshop:

Ellen Neises

Erik Johnson, City of Hartford

Harris Steinberg

David Kooris, CT Department of Economic & Community Development

Zhongjie Lin

Sara Bronin; Hartford P&Z Commission, UConn NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3

Executive Summary This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the 2019 “New Prospects for New England” Studio. This studio is the latest of 16 graduate city and regional planning studios and more than a dozen research seminars convened by the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design since 2004 that have investigated the role that high-speed rail can play in transforming the economy and mobility systems of places like the Northeast Megaregion stretching from Boston to Washington, DC. In particular, the 2019 studio builds upon the conclusions of the 2016 Rebooting New England studio which proposed the creation of a modern passenger rail network linking New York City to Boston, that would link all of New England’s “left behind” mid-sized cities to each other and to these two global cities. The studio proposed that this rail network be used to underpin a broader economic development strategy for these places to the benefit of the entire New York-New England region.

• Finally, it outlines how the proposed high-speed rail line —and the proposed 50-minute travel times to both New York and Boston it would make possible— could transform downtown Hartford, Connecticut and repair some of the damage The 2016 studio also proposed that a new done more than half a century ago, when inland high-speed rail right-of-way be Interstates 84 and 91 were jammed through created to bring metropolitan Hartford this historic urban center, and the city into the Northeast rail network. This new was cut off from the Connecticut River. route would also provide redundancy in this system when the current coastal route is threatened by sea-level rise and storm surges Though perhaps seemingly unrelated, in future years as a result of climate change. the Studio’s recommendations are in reality inextricably linked; no one Building on these proposals, the current objective can be fully realized without New Prospects for New England studio careful attention to the collaborative focuses on three key elements of this broader achievement of each of the others. rail and economic development strategy: • It proposes two new alternative highspeed rail rights-of-way linking Hartford, The studio’s key recommendations are based Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode in part on precedents it observed in the Island; an inland alternative to the coastal North of England, where the UK government route abandoned by the Federal Rail is investing more than $100 billion in highAdministration in its 2017 NEC Future speed rail links and the broader Northern The 2016 studio estimated that the proposed Tier I Environmental Impact statement; Powerhouse economic development $100 billion rail investment could result • It recommends how this new rail corridor initiative to revitalize the region’s left behind in $500 billion to $1 trillion in economic could be integrated into the landscape of cities. The studio traveled to Manchester, benefits over a 40-year period, providing The Last Green Valley National Heritage England in February 2019 to meet with a 2.5:1 benefit-cost ratio. The Rebooting Corridor in Eastern Connecticut, and the local officials and experts involved in the New England studio also proposed that measures that could be taken to both mitigate region’s Northern Powerhouse economic the vast majority of necessary capital funds its negative impacts and seize the economic development initiative. The studio witnessed be provided by the federal government, opportunities it would create for the Heritage the remarkable economic transformation most likely through debt financing, as Corridor’s communities and residents; and already underway in Manchester, Liverpool, 4

the UK is doing to finance the $76 b HS2 high-speed rail link between London and the North of England. The current studio has not attempted to replicate this analysis or these recommendations.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Leeds, and Sheffield, a transformation that began as soon as funds were committed to building the HS2 high-speed rail link between London, Manchester, and Leeds.

Studio participants also witnessed a similar urban renaissance underway in the formerly depressed areas around London’s Kings Cross and Paddington Stations. The studio believes that a similar transformation could be achieved in Downtown Hartford and other New England cities as soon as commitments are made to the New York - Boston high-speed rail link.

All of these steps have helped initiate infrastructure program. While this may the city’s economic transformation. not move forward now, at some point in the not-too-distant future the nation’s The 2016 Rebooting New England Studio deteriorating infrastructure will compel recommended that a new “Transport for national leaders to act. When they do, funds New England” agency be established to should be committed to the first phase of plan and build the proposed New York- the Rebooting New England rail network New England rail network. This new and a broader program of regeneration for agency should work with local officials the region’s chronically-disinvested cities. and residents in the Last Green Valley and nearby areas to determine which of the . proposed rights-of-way work best for the region. This agency should also explore how the proposed endowment could be used While in England, the studio also visited the to mitigate the project’s impacts on the Peak District National Park to learn how National Heritage Corridor and its residents. the proposed Northern Powerhouse high- The studio’s goal is to initiate a public speed rail line and improved motorways debate in the region about how these will be sited in and around the Park. The investments could be advanced in the years studio also learned how new economic and to come. The reality is that virtually every tourism synergies are being created between other industrialized nation has already built the National Park and nearby urban areas. high-speed rail networks, and is already benefitting from the economic and mobility benefits these provide. Unless this rail Closer to home, the studio also learned network is built, New England’s highways that many similar steps have been taken in will only continue to get more congested, and downtown Providence, RI, where improved travel times between its cities will continue MTBA commuter rail service has pulled to increase. Its chronically-disinvested the city into Metropolitan Boston’s labor cities are doomed to lag even further behind market. Providence has also undergrounded the rest of the country and the world. rail lines, relocated I-I95 out of its central business district, “daylighted” its rivers Even as the studio was completing its work, and protected the downtown areas from President Donald Trump and congressional storm surges with a hurricane barrier. leaders proposed a $2 trillion national NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

5

Table

of

Contents

Acknowledgments | 2 Executive Summary | 4

Championing New England | 10 Unlocking New England’s Economic Potential | 11

Regional Context

and

New England Cities | 16

Historical Background | 17 Challenges

and

Threats

to

Regional Success | 18

Transforming New England’s Economic Geography | 21 Improved Connectivity Through High-Speed Conserving

and

and

High Performance Rail | 21

Enhancing The Region’s Natural Heritage Assets | 22

A New Northeast Corridor | 30 Proposed Rail Alignment Options | 31 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cost

of

Storrs Versus Willimantic Alignments | 41

Service Plan | 42

Mitigation

of

Environmental

and

Land Impacts | 43

Alternative Comparison | 48

Underpinning Economic Revitalization with High-Speed Rail | 52

Introduction | 53

Existing Challenges | 60

Infrastructure Issues

and

in

Hartford, Connecticut

Solutions | 63

Urban Development Strategies | 66

Exalting Ecology | 76 Building With

Supporting

Working

the

the

with

Last Green Valley In Mind | 77

Last Green Valley | 78

Climate Change | 78

Centralized Development Patterns | 79 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | TABLE OF CONTENTS

Reducing Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases | 84 Anticipating Increased Flood Risk | 86 Designing

for

Connectivity | 89

Looking Ahead | 98 Phasing | 99 Next Steps | 103 Conclusion | 104 Citations | 106 Research Advisors | 109 Authors | 113

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | TABLE OF CONTENTS

Championing New England Since 2004 the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design has convened a series of graduate city and regional planning studios focused on the emergence of a new urban form called “megaregions� in the United States and around the world. Megaregions are networks of linked metropolitan areas with shared economic sectors, infrastructure, natural resource systems, culture, and history.

UNLOCKING NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

Since 2004 the University of Pennsylvania School of Design has convened a series of graduate city and regional planning studios focused on the emergence of a new urban form called “megaregions” in the United States and around the world.

Megaregions are networks of linked metropolitan areas with shared economic sectors, infrastructure, natural resource systems, culture, and history (see Figure 1).

In February 2018, to honor his exceptional contributions to the University and School, PennDesign was renamed the Stuart Weitzman School of Design. References to the School in this report will, therefore, Figure 1. Megaregions. Source: America 2050. be attributed to “Weitzman Design.” gaining a competitive advantage by building Megaregions (CM2) consortium. The The megaregion concept for regional mission of CM2 is to advance knowledge these systems. As a result, the school’s planning studies was developed as a about megaregions to improve the Department of City and Regional Planning pragmatic unit of analysis at Weitzman has developed a rich body of knowledge mobility of people and goods in urban and Design in the 2004 Plan for America Studio. about the northeastern megaregion in rural communities. The studio gratefully The 2004 studio investigated how high- particular and how strategies such as high- acknowledges support from CM2 for its speed rail networks are uniquely suited to speed rail can underpin regional economic travel to Manchester, England in February promote significant economic synergies development and address spatial inequality. 2019, in collaboration with a research team between cities and metropolitan regions in In 2016, Weitzman Design joined with the from the University of Texas at Austin. these emerging megaregions. Subsequent University of Texas at Austin, Louisiana State studios investigated how high-speed rail University, and Texas Southern University Megaregions are the principal drivers lines could be financed and delivered in the U.S. Department of Transportation- of the U.S. and global economy. The and how European and Asian nations are funded Cooperative Mobility for Competitive major cities of megaregions —places like New York, Boston, London, Tokyo, and 13 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 1 | UNLOCKING NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

others— are the engines of megaregional economies. However, megaregions also include dense networks of small- and midsized cities, many of which have become disconnected from larger megaregionscale labor and housing markets. One of the major challenges facing megaregions is the need to revitalize the economy of these disinvested cities —places that for decades have lost residents, jobs, and tax base even as larger nearby cities have prospered.

Several previous Weitzman Design studios have cited research by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and others that identified the potential for high-speed rail links between “hot” and “cold” economy cities to address this challenge.

Then, in 2016, building on this well of experience and information, the Rebooting New England Studio focused on this challenge in New York and New England and in particular the portion of Southern New England;book-ended by metropolitan New York City to the south and Boston to the north. Since 1980, while New York City and Boston have undergone a remarkable economic transformation, most of the region’s mid-sized cities —in such places as Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury, Connecticut ; Springfield, Fall River and Holyoke, Massachusetts , and Pawtucket and Woonsocket, Rhode Island , and their counterparts in the three northern New England states— have suffered sustained economic and population losses. The decline of these cities has resulted in

Figure 2. Rail Network. Source: The 2016 Studio.

fiscal distress for all three states. Even in Massachusetts, outside Boston and the Interstate-95 beltway, all but a few of the Commonwealth’s mid-sized cities have lagging household income, tax bases, and other indicators of economic distress.

connections. Further, the 2016 studio noted that increased congestion on the region’s highways was weakening the economic links between New York City and Boston, on the one hand, and the region’s mid-sized, chronically-disinvested cities on the other.

This studio also identified a countertrend, in which mid-sized cities that had strong rail links to New York and Boston (including Stamford, Connecticut; Worcester, Massachusetts; Rhode Island) had prospered because of these

Based on these insights, the 2016 studio proposed that a high-speed rail (150+ mph) network be built (see Figure 2) between New York and Boston, as part of a larger highperformance rail (80-110 mph) network linking all of the region’s mid-sized cities

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 1 | THE 2016 REBOOTING NEW ENGLAND STUDIO’S RAIL PROPOSAL 14

to each other and to these two economic engines. The 2016 studio’s research posited that such a network could transform the entire New York-New England area into the world’s largest innovation network. It could also respond to the three existential threats facing metro New York and Boston: choking congestion, rapidly escalating housing prices, and climate change. At the same time, a rail network connecting all of New England’s chronically-disinvested mid-sized cities could address the long-standing decline of these places.

In 2017, the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Tier I Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Northeast Corridor Rail, NEC Future, proposed upgrading the existing coastal rail route between New Haven and Western Rhode Island. FRA‘s consultants also identified an alternative inland rail route between Hartford and Providence but set this aside because FRA staff thought to build in or adjoin the existing Amtrak Northeast Corridor between New York City and Boston would be less controversial. FRA’s proposal, therefore, called for adding two additional tracks through wealthy Fairfield County suburbs on Metro-North’s New Haven Line —the busiest commuter rail corridor in the country. It also proposed running two new tracks east from New Haven to Rhode Island through numerous wetlands, cultural institutions, historic villages and conservation areas, much of it in vulnerable low lying areas increasingly subject to coastal flooding. When local officials and property

owners learned about FRA’s proposed route, there was an uprising of public opposition to the proposal, causing all four U.S. Senators from Connecticut and Rhode Island to call for its abandonment. Consequently, FRA’s final Record of Decision dropped this proposal and instead called for the two states to suggest an acceptable alternative.

WHY HIGH-SPEED RAIL?

THE 2019 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND STUDIO

• Providing increased access to people of all abilities.

This year’s Weitzman Design studio focuses on siting the proposed inland highspeed rail route between Hartford and Providence and the potential for rail service in this corridor to transform Hartford’s economy. It also investigates how this project could underpin the economic prosperity of corridor communities at the same time that it respects their important natural, historical, and scenic resources.

To best assess how a high-speed rail alignment could support the economy in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the studio began its work by investigating the region’s history, ecology, and the economic and other challenges it faces, and its distinctive character and assets.

15 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 1 | THE 2019 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND STUDIO

High-speed rail has become a staple in intercity and regional transportation throughout the world. In addition to connecting people and places, highspeed rail carries other benefits as well. According to the American Public Transit Association, these include:

• Diversifying employment options and opportunities for individuals who live outside large cities.

• Reducing one’s carbon footprint compared to driving and regional aviation (see Figure 3).

• Creating temporary and permanent jobs of multiple skill levels •

Reducing congestion on the road

Figure 3. C02 Emissions by Transportation Type. Source: Inhabitat.com NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 1 | WHY HIGH-SPEED RAIL 16

Regional Context England Cities

and

New

New England has an opportunity to become a connected and thriving regional economy with a greater distribution of opportunities, but faces three major challenges: a lack of affordable housing and office space in global cities like New York City and Boston, crippling highway and airport congestion, and climate change, which is threatening major infrastructure and straining aging systems. A 21st-century, high-speed rail network is a necessary step to connecting the region and revitalizing the economy, especially in formerly disinvested areas like Hartford.

and, beginning in the early 20th century, there began a great migration of poorer African-American laborers from the South looking for work in industrial northern cities.

They were joined more recently by Latino New England’s manufacturing economy immigrants from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and originated in the late 18th and early 19th Central America. As mostly white residents centuries in a network of mill villages, in of the cities relocated in the suburbs after such places as Willimantic and Putnam, World War II because of housing policy, the Connecticut; Central Falls, Rhode Island; Interstate highways and racism, real estate and Uxbridge, Massachusetts. These villages in the center city became cheaper and, as a were sited along rivers where water power result, became the destination for these new could be harnessed to power the mills. Later low-income residents. in the 19th century, with the advent of steam City leaders, in partnership with state power, greater concentrations of industry and federal highway builders, in an attempt located in the region’s larger cities, including to lure those living in the suburbs back to Hartford, Providence, and Worcester, which the city, as well as to make older cities more had the workforce needed to staff these amenable to automobile travel and storage, rapidly growing industries. From the middle tore down whole neighborhoods to make of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th, way for large roadways and parking lots. many of New England’s industrial cities Older commercial and residential buildings, were among the world’s most prosperous which had been abandoned by former places (see Figure 1). residents and were difficult to maintain by

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Following World War II, however, the construction of interstate highways and large electric grids and subsidization of suburban housing allowed factories to move out of center cities to where they could access cheaper real estate. Eventually, many of New England’s factories relocated first to the South and then overseas to gain access to less expensive labor, leaving the vast brick and granite mill complexes across the region abandoned or under-utilized.

encourages density and sustainable forms of transportation such as walking, bicycling, and public transportation. Much of the historic building stock is also highly sought after for its solid construction and attention to architectural detail. In many places across the country - e.g.. Nashville Tennessee; Columbus, Ohio; and Indianapolis, Indiana - mid-size cities with similar assets are being revitalized, and the question the Studio examined is how New England’s mid-sized cities can join this trend.

newer, poorer residents, were also cleared en masse in the name of “blight removal.”

Despite these challenges, New England cities still have strong physical and social assets left over from their pre-World War II past. For example, virtually all of these cities are located on rivers, which throughout history were used for transportation as well as sewage disposal. Today, these newly cleaned waterways are being repurposed as important amenities and gathering During the 19th century, labor largely places. Tight networks of gridded streets Figure 1. Westminster Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 1903. A bustling New England downtown. came from waves of European immigration also exist in many of these cities, which Source: Shorpy.com 19 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO REGIONAL SUCCESS Metropolitan New York City and Boston are the engines of the region’s economy, but despite their remarkable rebirth since the 1980s, both metropolitan areas face three existential challenges to their continued success:

and creative-class workers from moving to or staying in these places. Growing highway and rail congestion has resulted in New England’s mid-sized cities becoming more isolated from New York City and Boston’s booming economies.

tracks. Following Hurricane Katrina, for example, it took the CSX Corporation nearly six months to repair tracks and restore freight service along its Gulf Coast route.

CLIMATE-RELATED FLOODING

Extensive low-lying areas in both New York City and Boston and their suburbs have experienced flooding due to severe climaterelated weather events and sea-level rise, an issue which will only continue to escalate as climate change worsens in the coming RAPIDLY ESCALATING HOUSING century. Climate change not only threatens PRICES AND COMMERCIAL these cities, but it also threatens the entire RENTS New England coast. Amtrak’s Northeast As New York City and Boston have Corridor runs along the coast (the “Coastal become more prosperous and successful, Route”) as it travels through Connecticut housing prices and commercial rents have (see Figure 4). This alignment is now escalated beyond the reach of many residents threatened by climate-related storm surges and firms (see Figure 2). This is making it and sea-level rise. The National Academy more difficult to attract the young, well- of Sciences projects that severe coastal educated people who drive their innovation storms will become more frequent and more severe in the near future. In addition, the economies.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea-Level Rise projections EXTREME AND GROWING show much of the Coastal Route in Eastern CONGESTION Connecticut, especially near Mystic and In recent years, highways and city streets Stonington, as permanently inundated in metropolitan New York and Boston have by 2080 (this assumes 7 feet of sea-level become congested for most of the day (see rise, which falls between the “high” and Figure 3). In city centers, subways and “extreme” scenarios.) Even before complete regional rail lines are also experiencing crush inundation, the route will be persistently loads. The combination of high rents and subjected to flooding, which could gridlocked roads and rails also deters young periodically disrupt service and damage

Figure 2. Boston and New York City’s median housing prices are double the next most expensive city in the region. Source: American Community Survey 2012-2017.

Figure 3. The New England region, from New York City to Boston, suffers from crippling highway congestion on most of the highways between the two cities and through Hartford. Source: 2016 Studio.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO REGIONAL SUCCESS 20

FRA’S PROPOSAL In an attempt to improve upon the threatened Coastal Route, the FRA in 2016 proposed to straighten the snake-like alignment and move it inland (see Figure 5). This proposed alignment met fierce opposition from landowners and municipal and state officials (see Figure 6). One of the alternatives proposed as part of FRA’s Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement for this new Coastal Route was to instead turn the Northeast Corridor north at New Haven toward Hartford and then head east from Hartford toward Providence, reconnecting with the existing alignment at Providence (see Figure 7). As noted above, however, the FRA never seriously investigated this route, since they never expected the fierce opposition that emerged to their proposed upgrading of the existing coastal route.

Figure 4. Much of the existing Northeast Corridor alignment along the Connecticut shore is threatened by sea level rise. Source: The Studio.

21 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO REGIONAL SUCCESS

Figure 5. The FRA-proposed alternative alignment that would have allowed for higher speeds and been less threatened by sea level rise. The proposal was shelved due to local opposition. Source: Federal Railroad Administration. Wall Street Journal.

Figure 7. The Studio’s proposed alignment turns north at New Haven towards Hartford, then travels east from Hartford through the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor to Providence where it reconnects with the existing Northeast Corridor. Source: The Studio.

Figure 6. Three Connecticut state officials, State Senator Paul Formica of the twentieth district, State Senator Heather Somers of the eighteenth district, and State Representative Devin Carney of the twenty-third district, standing on the outdoor platform of an old red caboose train car as part of a demonstration against the FRA-proposed alignment.

Source: Charlestown Citizens Alliance.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO REGIONAL SUCCESS 22

TRANSFORMING NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

their choosing, be it big or small, fast-paced or easy-going, and work in any other city.

The resulting opportunities, especially for residents of formerly disinvested cities, will be greatly increased as a result of the improvement in connectivity.

Presently, because of congested highways and inadequate passenger rail service, New England’s mid-sized cities function as independent “islands,” each with its own isolated and housing market, and largely detached from the region’s other cities. New England’s mid-sized cities lack the size and proximity necessary to create agglomeration economies with the potential to attract and retain industries and skilled workers.

IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY THROUGH HIGHSPEED AND HIGHPERFORMANCE RAIL

To unlock New England’s economic potential, it needs to function more like a connected region of people with skills and employers that require those skills.

Despite advances in digital technology and a greater trend toward telecommuting, people still need to be physically connected to each other. Greater connectivity in the region would allow a company to set up an office in Hartford, recruit employees from Providence, work with researchers at the University of Connecticut in Storrs (UConn), and attend business meetings and conferences in New York City. Businesses will no longer be shackled to the high real estate prices of Manhattan when a more affordable city like Hartford is less than an hour away on fast, frequent, reliable, and affordable rail service. Likewise, employees will be able to settle in the city or town of

Given the current and growing levels of road and air travel congestion in New England, this improved connectivity can only be accomplished through a 21stcentury rail network that matches or betters global competitors. This proposed network was designed as part of the 2016 Rebooting New England Studio (see Figure 8).

Based around a high-speed (150+ mph), high-frequency spine between New York and Boston and passing through New Haven, Hartford, and Providence, this network would feature a range of services, stopping patterns, and frequency depending on the demand. The spine would be fed by high-performance (80-110 mph) rail lines that would operate largely on existing, improved track and would connect many of the mid-sized cities to the main

23 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | TRANSFORMING NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

spine. Beyond the high-performance lines, commuter and local rail, as well as bus lines, would further connect the region.

Hartford lies at the center of this new high-speed alignment with similar onehour travel times to either New York or Boston. As a result, Hartford has an important opportunity to reverse its historical decline and take advantage of the potential for economic revitalization as a result of its improved connectivity with New York, Boston, and the rest of New England. Through the adoption of smart-growth development controls and incentives which encourage smaller development companies to lead by younger developers, Hartford can once again

Figure 8. The 2016 Rebooting New England proposal for rail service in New England with a highspeed spine running from New York City to Boston via a tunnel under Long Island Sound and through New Haven, Hartford, and Providence. High-performance and commuter services feed into the spine from other areas of New England. Source: 2016 Studio.

become a dense, walkable, thriving city that attracts new residents while improving the lives and livelihoods of current residents.

preserving the area’s natural and cultural features be central to guiding the economic development the rail line will attract.

As a result, the Studio carefully examined a series of indicators of environmental and cultural value, including unfragmented forests, water sources, vulnerable habitats, and heritage sites, and used this assessment to identity proposed rail corridors that minimize damage to these assets. In addition to preserving these assets, the Studio also highlights some of these features through As this proposed new high-speed rail improved connectivity to and from the Last line traverses New England, it is important Green Valley. It is anticipated that with that it not only brings economic benefits but increased recognition of the uniqueness and also does not negatively impact the region’s beauty of the area, more people will want to rich ecological and historical assets. preserve it for generations to come.

While much of the New York - Boston high-speed network will run on existing right of way, a new inland alignment between Hartford and Providence is being proposed as part of this study. (As noted above, this alignment was first proposed in the 2010 Weitzman Design Northeast High-Speed Rail Studio, and then considered in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Northeast Corridor Future Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement.) This alignment passes through the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, which encompasses 35 mostly rural towns in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts (see Figure 9). Figure 9. The Last Green Valley National Heritage The Last Green Valley includes 1,100 square Corridor is made up of 35 mostly-rural towns and miles and is defined by the water systems of is defined by the water systems of the Quinebaug the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers. Given and Shetucket Rivers. Within the LGV, 77% of the that 77% of the Valley’s 700,000 acres are 700,000 acres are forests and farmlands. Source: The Studio. forests and farmlands, it is important that

CONSERVING AND ENHANCING THE REGION’S NATURAL AND HERITAGE ASSETS

ENDOWMENT FUND: In order to ensure that the region’s historical, natural, and social resources are permanently preserved, and to seize the economic opportunities the new high-speed rail service will create, the Studio proposes establishing an endowment fund of approximately one percent of total project construction costs.

Given the range of construction cost estimates, the endowment fund would be approximately $300 million.

Administered as an endowment, only a portion of the annual interest and investment earnings from the initial ~$300 million seed would be allocated for grants each year, while the fund principal would be preserved to ensure a perpetual source of funding for the region’s benefit.

The fund would allow organizations to apply for two categories of grants. “Revitalization” grants would promote the smart growth and economic development of the towns in the region along the rail line. “Heritage” grants would promote the conservation, health, and viability of working and natural lands. In any given year, if 60% of funds are awarded to one category, the remainder of funds that year should be reserved for grants eligible under the other category. This would ensure

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | CONSERVING AND ENHANCING THE REGION’S NATURAL AND HERITAGE ASSETS 24

that the development of the city, town, and village centers is balanced with protecting and supporting open lands.

• Projects eligible for revitalization grants should include but not be limited to infrastructure projects for water management; facade and building upgrades, especially for historic structures and main streets; technical assistance for zoning, mapping, and planning; development of the capacity to support and attract tourism.

• Projects eligible for heritage grants could include but are not limited to: land conservation easements; fee simple land conservation; technical assistance to farmers, foresters, and other open space managers including development of land management plans; capital costs for projects essential to maintaining the health of the landscape and viability of agriculture and forestry, including creating stream buffers; trail maintenance; research concerning agriculture, forestry, and carbon sequestration.

Specific recommendations for the usage of the endowment fund are described in further detail in Chapter 5.

Figure 10. The global powerhouse city of London in the southeast of England, the four Northern Powerhouse cities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield in the north of England, and Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. Source: The Studio.

25 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | CONSERVING AND ENHANCING THE REGION’S NATURAL AND HERITAGE ASSETS

PRECEDENTS: THE UK’S NORTHERN POWERHOUSE AND PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND The Studio has examined two important precedents for rail-based regional, economic development and urban regeneration initiatives: the United Kingdom’s Northern Powerhouse initiative and Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Both provide models for how a New England high-speed rail initiative could underpin revitalization of New England’s struggling mid-sized cities.

THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE

participants met with representatives of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, In February 2019, the studio traveled Transport for the North, and the UK2070 to the North of England to gain first- Commission and its Chair, Lord Kerslake, hand knowledge of the United Kingdom’s to learn about their efforts to address the innovative Northern Powerhouse (NP) U.K.’s spatial inequality challenges.

Initiative. The Studio worked alongside This followed on earlier visits to a group of Master of Community and Manchester by the 2016 Rebooting New Regional Planning students from the University of Texas at Austin through a England Studio and several other visits grant from the United States Department there by Penn faculty and advisors. Based of Transportation and the Cooperative on these exchanges of views and insights, Mobility for Competitive Megaregions the Studio believes that the Northern (CM2) consortium. During this visit, studio Powerhouse could provide a template for a similar rail-based economic development

Figure 11. The proposed rail service as part of the Northern Powerhouse with connections to London and the southeast via High-Speed 2 and connections within the Northern Powerhouse via High-Speed 3 and various other line upgrades. Source: Wikipedia / Cnbrb NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | PRECEDENTS

26

strategy for New England’s struggling cities.

particularly inter-city rail. The idea is that if people can travel more efficiently between The United Kingdom is struggling with the cities of the North, as well as between patterns of spatial inequality similar to those the North of England and Scotland on the being experienced in New England. For more one hand, and the Southeast on the other, than a century, while England’s Southeast that there will be a greater linking of the region around London has prospered, cities economies of all of these regions. This would in the North of England region have suffered create new opportunities for both employers from economic decline. As a result of the co- and employees to locate in the area most location of the government and the financial suitable for their needs. An employer could sector in London, much of the central open an office in Manchester and hire government’s focus and spending have employees from all over the North as well historically been in this region. The North of as the Southeast, and still attend meetings England, including the cities of Manchester, and functions in London and even north to Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield, on the other Glasgow or Edinburgh. hand, has stagnated and thus fallen further behind the Southeast. (Cities in Scotland As part of the Northern Powerhouse and Northern Ireland have also experienced initiative, Transport for the North, a similar economic dislocation.) (See Figure regional transport body, was created in 10 for a map of U.K. cities) 2018 in order to plan and deliver regional transport investments. Part of Transport In an effort to rebalance the country’s for the North’s strategic plan includes a new economy, in 2010 the British government east-west high-speed rail line, Northern committed to building the $72 billion Powerhouse Rail (also known as HS3), High Speed 2 (HS2) high-speed rail line which would connect the cities of the North connecting London to Manchester and to each other and, via HS2, to London and Leeds and eventually extending further the Southeast (see Figure 11). With HS3, north to Scotland. Then, in 2015 the travel times between many northern cities government proposed that a broader will be reduced by at least 33%. In addition, “Northern Powerhouse” infrastructure, travel time from Liverpool and Sheffield to economic development and governance Manchester Airport, the region’s principal reform strategy be implemented to build air hub, will be cut by over 50%. on the HS2 investment. In addition to investments in applied research, technology As soon as funds were committed transfers, and innovation, the Northern to building HS2, extensive speculative Powerhouse initiative promotes devolution development began in all four Northern of powers to new metropolitan “combined Powerhouse cities. The skylines of downtown authorities” and improvement in transport, Manchester, Liverpool, and Leeds continue 27 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | PRECEDENTS

to be dominated by a sea of construction cranes, where new residential, commercial, and retail developments are rising. In addition, the waterfronts of all of these cities are being reclaimed and redeveloped for public access and river and canal-front development.

The Northern Powerhouse and Transport for the North use the Randstad area of The Netherlands and the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany as examples of highly functioning agglomeration economies connected by high-speed, high-frequency rail.

Northern Powerhouse initiatives are being coordinated by a new independent group, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, which has board representatives that include mayors, CEOs of major employers, university administrators, and other key partners. The UK2070 Commission is now examining how these and other models can be adapted to the U.K. to address the century-long challenge facing struggling cities and regions in the North of England and across the country.

Takeaways From The Northern Powerhouse Hartford and the rest of the New YorkNew England region could implement a similar set of policies, investments, and institutions to achieve its economic transformation. The analog to HS2 and HS3 in New England would be a new high-speed rail line connecting Hartford to both New

York and Boston, with high-performance rail links to other mid-sized New England cities. A new Transport for New England agency (the analog to the U.K.’s Transport for the North) should be established to plan and deliver these rail links, in a regional partnership between the states and the federal government. A diverse set of local transit, job training, urban amenity, and technology transfer programs and investments should be adopted in Hartford and the region’s other left-behind cities.

Most importantly, all of these cities need to anticipate speculative development that would follow any commitment of funds for the high-speed rail route, perhaps including assembly of development sites that should be reserved for affordable housing. These

cities should also consider creation of combined authorities to coordinate regional job training, transport and other activities in place of New England’s highly fragmented network of municipal governments. In addition, a new independent, non-profit New England Powerhouse Partnership should be established to coordinate these investments.

PROVIDENCE

Closer to home, the City of Providence Five key elements of Providence’s provides a second precedent for urban successful urban revitalization strategy revitalization that could inspire similar initiatives in Hartford and other New could inspire similar efforts in Hartford: England cities.

1. I-195 Re-Alignment (“Iway” Project)

Parking Lots, former rail yard

Tracks re-routed, buried Rail Line

New land opened for development, new riverside pedestrian paths

River daylighted, re-routed

River built over

I-195 re-routed, new land opened for development

I-195

URI EDC, RIGIS

URI EDC, RIGIS

Figure 12. The difference between downtown Providence in 1981 (left) and 2016 (right) is stark. The new commercial development and roadways near the capital and north of the downtown core were made possible through the moving, consolidating, and capping of the rail lines, the re-routing and uncovering of the rivers, and the removal of surface parking lots. The movement of I-195 came later, but also opened up new areas for development. Source: University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center.

0

180

360

Meters 720

Providence and Hartford are similar in three key ways. Both are state capitals of small states, both have similar population size, and both suffered from de-industrialization, depopulation, urban renewal, and destructive urban highway construction in the post World War II era. In contrast with Hartford, however, Providence has made a concerted effort to reinvigorate its downtown through targeted infrastructure and urban amenity improvements, and, as a result, has experienced a transformation.

0

180

360

Meters 720

Figure 13. The connection between I-195 and I-95 was moved south and out of downtown Providence which allowed for a better connection between downtown and the Jewelry District and opened a sizeable area for new development. Source: Google Earth.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | PRECEDENTS 28

Beginning in the 1980s, Providence began to study solutions for the congestion and safety issues surrounding the interchange between I-95 and I-195 just south of downtown Providence. The 1950s-designed infrastructure was falling apart and featured tight curves and lefthand exits that caused slowdowns and frequent crashes.

Reconnecting the downtown with the Jewelry District was another main consideration in the decision to shift the highway. In addition to creating a more cohesive downtown, this would also lead to new development opportunities.

The construction and demolition were completed in 2013, the street grid was then reconnected, and new development has begun (see Figure 12). This formerly isolated and underutilized district has emerged as the city’s biotech innovation district, in both restored historic and new buildings.

2. Relocation of Providence’s “Chinese Wall” of Railroad Tracks Up until the 1980s, the primary railroad tracks approaching Providence from the South created a large barrier, or wall, that divided the downtown from the state capitol and state offices and the rest of the city.

During studies to upgrade the tracks in the 1970s, a group came up with the idea of shifting, consolidating, and covering part of the tracks to allow for the city to be better connected and to open up new development opportunities. In addition to re-aligning the tracks to a new station, the city also shifted the courses of the Woonasquatucket and

Mosshassuck Rivers (see Figure 13).

3. Providence and its Waterways Over a century of rapid growth, Providence had become disconnected from its waterways. In addition to channelizing the rivers, previous generations had also covered over much of the downtown waterways with roads and rails. Combined with the plans to re-align the main railroad tracks, the plan to reroute and uncover the Woonasquatucket and Mosshassuck Rivers provided more open and green space, greater access to the rivers, a rewoven street grid, and a completed ring highway.

Providence is also at the southern terminus of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor, the nation’s second National Heritage Corridor. This 30-year-old joint venture between the State of Rhode Island, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the National Park Service has transformed a formerly polluted river and network of deteriorated mill villages and cities into a national model for environmental restoration, heritage conservation, and cultural tourism.

generation, essentially bringing Providence and much of Rhode Island into greater Boston’s housing and labor markets.

5. Preservation of downtown Providence’s urban fabric While much of downtown Hartford’s historic urban core has been cleared to build megastructures like the XL Center, large floor plate office buildings, and surface parking, Providence has preserved most of its historic downtown for adaptive reuse and infill development. A number of historic downtown office buildings on the three major downtown roads —Washington, Weybosset, and Westminster Streets— have been converted to residential and academic purposes, with expanded classrooms, residences, and studios for Johnson & Wales, Roger Williams, Brown, the University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island School of Design. In addition, streetscape and public realm improvements throughout the downtown have encouraged the location of restaurants, bars, and specialty retail uses throughout the downtown area.

A more cohesive downtown has also lead to new development opportunities.

After the construction and demolition were In the 1990s, a business group, the Rhode completed in 2013, the street grid was Island Economic Policy Council, advanced then reconnected, and new development the idea of strengthening Providence’s has begun. The formerly isolated and economic links to Boston through improved underutilized districts have emerged as the passenger rail service to Boston’s South city’s biotech innovation district, in both Station. Operated by the Massachusetts restored historic and new buildings.

Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), rail service has steadily improved over the past Takeaways From Providence 4. Rail Connections to Boston

29 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | PRECEDENTS

All of these elements of Providence’s economic transformation suggest how similar strategies could be used to promote Hartford’s revitalization. I-84 and I-91 could be relocated or under-grounded to reconnect the fragmented city, which would improve circulation and reduce the overall impact on the city. Similarly, railroad tracks and viaducts could be under-grounded and relocated as part of the construction of the proposed high-speed rail route. This highspeed rail route could also give Hartford the same kind of economic and mobility connection to New York City and Boston that Providence currently has to Boston.

Hartford could also reconnect its downtown to an expanded Connecticut riverfront park that incorporates flood protection measures.

As well, a portion of the Park River could be “day-lighted” or converted into a controlled surface river through Bushnell Park and nearby areas. Local colleges and universities, including UConn, Trinity, University of Hartford, Yale, Wesleyan and Connecticut College should be encouraged to establish or expand research, education, and other activities in downtown Hartford. Finally, the city could undertake a program of infill development of vacant lots, gap sites, and surface parking areas, and employ adaptive reuse to rebuild its historic urban fabric at a human scale that invites self-builders and small-cap developers to restore its historic urban form and vitality.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 2 | PRECEDENTS 30

A New Northeast Corridor In order to combat spatial inequality by knitting the disinvested towns of New England back into the economic fabric of the region, the Northeast Corridor rail must be redesigned. Today’s winding coastal alignment runs parallel to the Long Island Sound making it both unsuitable for high-speed rail and prone to the effects of climate change. A new inland alignment would allow faster, more reliable train service and future-proof it against the impacts of sea-level rise. National GDP growth will be captured by connecting two of the most prosperous cities in the nation. Locally, smaller towns along the line will find new life as part of an integrated New England economy.

PROPOSED RAIL ALIGNMENT OPTIONS The two alternative alignments proposed in this plan (see Figure 1) connect the capital cities of Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island; two capital cities which previously have had no direct interstate or rail connection. While Providence has experienced positive economic outcomes in recent history by connecting itself to Boston’s prosperity via rail link, Hartford has struggled to do the same.

will explore as many mitigation options as are feasible and propose implementation strategies to reduce the impact that the chosen alignment has on the natural environment.

WILLIMANTIC ALIGNMENT

The Willimantic Alignment was named this because it passes just north of downtown Willimantic. The alignment exits Hartford in a tunnel and continues along existing road rights-of-way, freight rail corridors, and open space, until finally connecting to an existing right-of-way in a tunnel that passes through Providence Station beneath This studio proposes a high-speed-ready of Providence, RI. This alignment was rail alignment to connect the Providence considered for its cost-cutting capability and Hartford, which would, in the long run, and designed to maximize its potential to facilitate faster and more reliable travel revitalize downtown Willimantic. The cost between New York and Boston while also savings of this route are realized through a bolstering economically depressed cities combination of avoiding private property along the route. One of the alignments takings by staying along existing public proposed by the Studio runs through rights of way as much as possible and by Willimantic, Connecticut, a city that was minimizing tunneling and aerial structures once a global center for the textile industry, by keeping close to the topography while while the other runs through Storrs, still maintaining high-speed radius curves.

Connecticut, a city best known as the home These steps to minimize cost and impact may of the University of Connecticut (UConn). make the alignment more favorable in some ways, but it also carries several negative Both routes do carry environmental costs, consequences. Because it follows topography which are further discussed in the following and existing rights-of-way, this alignment section on ecological impact mitigation. is slightly longer than a more direct route It is important to note that running a rail (the Storrs alignment), which adds cost and alignment through ecologically sensitive travel time to the overall project. It also areas has been done throughout history and does not create a direct connection between is difficult to avoid, short of placing the entire Hartford and the University of Connecticut, alignment in a tunnel. However, this studio 33 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

STANDARDS OF HIGHSPEED RAIL The two alternative alignments proposed in this plan conform to the accepted standards for high-speed rail projects around the world. The recommended right-of-way is 100-feet wide with grade changes no greater than 5% and turns with a minimum radius of 25,000 feet. Conforming to these standards provides ample room for two tracks (one in each direction) along with buffer for noise mitigation and maintenance access.

When considering each of the alignments, potential ridership, distance, cost, and environmental impacts must all be taken into consideration.

Connecticut and Rhode Island’s undulating topography will demand both tunnels and viaducts to keep the alignment within the grade constraints mandated by the standards for high speed rail. Maximizing the amount of the alignment that is at-grade while minimizing the amount of tunneling and compulsory purchase will help reduce the overall project cost. Since the project requires going through environmentally-sensitive areas, extra care will be taken to minimize and mitigate those impacts.

Rail Alignments Enfield

Woonsocket

Woodstock Putnam

Canton

Simsbury

Windsor

Pomfret

Manchester

Bolton

Southington

Scituate

Cranston

Windham

Warwick

Plainfield

Columbia

New Britain

Johnston

Hampton Brooklyn

Coventry Mansfield

Andover Newington

Providence

Killingly

Chaplin

Hartford Farmington

Foster

Vernon

South Windsor

Smithfield

Exeter

Cromwell

Berlin

East Hampton

Norwich

Middletown

Meriden

Newport

Cheshire Haddam

Wallingford Durham Hamden

Lyme

Killingworth Essex

New Haven

Richmond

Montville

Kingston

Charlestown

New London Stonington

Madison

LEGEND Amtrak Alignment

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Willimantic Alignment

Miles 25

Storrs Alignment

Figure 1. A map of the two proposed rail alignments, as well as the existing Amtrak alignment

Source: The Studio

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 34

Figure 2. This image shows the Hartford Station alternative with an upgraded New Haven-Springfield line running along its present-day route on top of a viaduct adjacent to Bushnell Park. The advantage of this configuration is it may be cheaper to strengthen the existing infrastructure rather than tunneling.

Source: The Studio.

Figure 3. This image shows the alternative with both the New Haven-Springfield Line and the proposed Northeast Corridor in tunnels. The advantages of this configuration include easier transfers between lines, reclaimed space at ground level, and a design that is best-suited to work with the I-84 Hartford project.

Source: The Studio.

35 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

which could prove to be a major economic asset for Hartford. The Willimantic Alignment would necessitate a shuttle from Storrs to Willimantic, which although only a 15- to 20-minute drive, doubles the travel time to Hartford for Storrs residents.

Environmentally, one major disadvantage of this alignment is that it requires either a tunnel under or a bridge over the Scituate Reservoir, which provides drinking water for Providence. Because of the design constraints of a high-speed rail alignment, avoiding the reservoir is not practical or feasible with this option.

when compared against the Willimantic alignment. Environmentally, it avoids the Scituate Reservoir altogether, eliminating the need for mitigation measures in that area. This feature alone may make it the more politically palatable option in Providence.

The other advantage is that since the path is more direct, it will save time when compared against the Willimantic Alignment. Despite these advantages, the Storrs alignment is more expensive than the Willimantic alternative because it requires a large tunnel through Storrs and does not naviagate the topography as elegantly as the previous alignment. The later sections describe in detail the difference in impacts for protected land, ecologically sensitive areas, and buildings between the two alignments.

REPURPOSING HARTFORD UNION STATION

Hartford Union Station is surrounded by a sea of underutilized surface parking lots, derelict buildings, and the soonto-be-redesigned I-84 viaduct and offramps. Although the immediate area around Hartford Union Station has been a casualty of disinvestment, the location of the station at the junction between the Insurance District (Asylum Hill), the Central Business District, and the State Capitol and government district, is ideal.

Therefore, the Studio proposes keeping the station in its current location but converting STORRS ALIGNMENT it so it serves as a headhouse for new underground platforms (See Figures 2 and The Storrs Alignment takes a more direct 3). Since the new underground station also route between Hartford and Providence lies adjacent to existing streets and I-84, that involves passing through Storrs and STATION SITING minimal land takings will be required for continuing on a fairly straight line from there. It has the advantage of running Proposed station locations were its construction. Finally, the station itself is directly underneath the University of determined using a similar assessment listed on the National Register of Historic Connecticut campus, providing a 15-minute process, with the goal of maximizing the Places and should be celebrated rather than rail link between the capital city and the utility of each station to potential passengers, dismantled. Unfortunately, the station’s flagship state university. However, in order while minimizing impacts on the fabric of existing platforms are currently incapable of handling expanded train service since to mitigate the impacts on the existing town each host community (See Figure 4). the overpass leading into the station is of Storrs and its University of Connecticut When developing a strategy for stations, rotting and the elevated station platform is campus, the alignment comes with the cost the goal was to utilize as much existing structurally capable of supporting only one of a tunnel and two additional viaducts in this infrastructure as possible.

Hartford’s train at a time. location alone. Furthermore, this alignment historic station and Providence’s recently may require the taking of more property With provision of high-speed rail in than the Willimantic Alignment since it built station were high on the list of facilities Hartford, Union Station will become a does not follow as many existing rights of to preserve. multimodal transportation epicenter that ways. Aside from the direct connection dramatically improves access both to and to the University of Connecticut, this from Hartford via transit. The high speed rail alignment has a few other major advantages line will be directed into Hartford through NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 36

Stations Siting Enfield

Enfield

Putnam Canton

Simsbury Simsbury Windsor Canton

Windsor

1 Storrs Station

Farmington Farmington

New Britain New Britain

Coventry Manchester Manchester Bolton Bolton Andover Andover

Newington Newington

Meriden Cheshire

Killingly Chaplin Brooklyn Chaplin Hampton Brooklyn Hampton Coventry Mansfield Mansfield

Killingly Scituate

2 Willimantic Station

Columbia

Windham Columbia

East Hampton East Hampton Middletown Middletown

Windham

Plainfield

Providence Johnston Johnston Scituate Cranston Cranston Warwick

Plainfield

Hamden

1

Warwick

Norwich

Norwich

Cheshire

Wallingford Wallingford Durham

Hamden

Foster

Cromwell

SouthingtonSouthington Cromwell Berlin Berlin Meriden

Smithfield Smithfield

3 Danielson StationFoster

Vernon

Hartford

Putnam

Pomfret

Pomfret

South Windsor Vernon South Windsor

WoonsocketWoonsocket

Woodstock Woodstock

Haddam

Durham Haddam

Killingworth Killingworth

Montville

Montville

Lyme

Essex

Essex

Richmond

Kingston

Newport

Lyme

2

New London

3

New Haven Madison

Madison

Storrs Station

Willimantic Station

Commercial Distric t

Danielson Station

LEGEND 0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

CBD

Figure 4. Map of the rail alignments with the locations of stations sited on the map. Source: the Studio

37 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

Willimantic Alignment Storrs Alignment

an underground tunnel that preserves the urban fabric and general continuity of downtown Hartford. It is recommended that the existing Springfield - New Haven commuter rail line also be included in this tunnel for similar reasons. The high speed rail line will stop below the existing Union Station, which will allow it to continue to act as the main station in Hartford.

significance and signature look. In addition to the station receiving an upgrade, the infrastructure around the station should also be renovated. For instance, given the dilapidated state of the viaduct and overpass into Hartford station, it is recommended that the Springfield-New Haven viaduct be dismantled and buried alongside the Northeast Corridor alignment. This will allow local line improvements to be made to Along with the new underground rail create a higher-performance rail connection lines, Union Station will continue receiving to Springfield while also providing a samepassengers from the CTFasTrak Bus Rapid level transfer between the commuter lines at Transit (BRT) line, intercity buses, and local the station. Burying the Springfield line will buses. This new multi-modal connection also allow for more development around will allow for fast transfers and expansive the station without the nuisance of trains travel options for people coming both to running at-grade nearby. and from Hartford. With this enhanced function comes a need to revitalize Union Station without compromising its historical ASSESSING ALTERNATIVES

Figure 6. Hartford Union station platform as it exists today. Due to structural problems below the platform and infrastructural decay around the station, only one track is currently in use. Source: the Studio

STATION LOCATIONS IN STORRS VS. WILLIMANTIC Two proposals are on the table for alignments be considered for the route between Hartford and Providence. One alignment goes through Storrs while the other proceeds on a more southerly track through Willimantic. The following section will discuss the pros and cons of each.

Regardless of the alignment chosen, the proposal would include a shuttle service to circulate people between the two cities.

Storrs To run through the heart of Storrs, a new rail tunnel would need to be created under UConn’s campus. Since Storrs sits on a higher elevation than its surroundings,

Figure 5. Hartford Union Station is located steps from the Connecticut Capitol. This historic building currently serves a transportation center for the city, something that will be preserved by siting the new high speed alignment directly below the existing structure.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 38

a tunnel would be the most appropriate solution and provide the least amount of disruption to the school’s assets. Ideally, the station headhouse would be located in the heart of the central campus allowing students, faculty, and visitors to be connected to Hartford within a 15 minute train ride. This connection could help tie Hartford to the university in a way that would encourage economic development in both places, in much the same way that city / campus synergies exist in Austin, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; and other capital cities that also contain state university flagship campuses. This siting would also encourage UConn students to stay in the Hartford area following graduation by encouraging them to identify themselves with the city and therefore choose to locate there as so-called “self-builders” after graduation.

afford to pay the high cost of living there.

A stone’s throw from Storrs, a station here could bring more UConn students through the town resulting in an influx of investment in its core.

OTHER REGIONAL STOPS Dayville The final proposed intermediate stop on the Hartford-Providence section of the northeast regional route will be Dayville, a village located midway between two mill towns, Putnam and of Danielson, located in the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor (LGV). Connecting Danielson,

Dayville and Putnam with high-speed rail to Providence, Storrs/Willimantic, and Hartford will help make these places viable housing options for those who wish to live in lower cost homes in a small town setting. A Last Green Valley visitors center in or adjoining the station could become a focal point for green tourism throughout the region, and help anchor new economic assets in Dayville and nearby communities.

Providence Station Providence Station was built in 1986 and is one of the most heavily used train stations in the country. Given its recent construction and the goal of maintaining as much existing infrastructure as possible, it

Willimantic Willimantic, also known as Thread City, was once a burgeoning mill town but has never fully recovered from the closing of its major employer, American Woolen Mills, in 1985. Despite several fires, the downtown retains much of its historic fabric, including its impressive commercial district, housing, and mill buildings. A station located near Willimantic’s largely intact and historic commercial district could bolster local businesses and housing market by bringing the city into commuting distance from Hartford, Providence, and Boston. It also Figure 7. The Boxcar Children Museum, located in Putnam, CT is just minutes away from the proposed provides a wider berth of housing options station in Dayville. Tourist attractions like these will see increased awareness and demand once they are for people who work in Boston but cannot better connected to the Northeast Corridor. Source: Taken by the Studio.

39 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

is best to maintain the station in its current configuration. Although the alignment coming into and out of Providence will not be high speed, the trains would need to slow as they approach this station, resulting in little net loss in performance. Additionally, it is anticipated that HSR service to Providence will encourage tourists and business travelers from other parts of the Northeast Corridor, thus spurring even more development around the station area and throughout downtown Providence.

Figure 8. Storrs, Connecticut would give the line direct access to UConn, potentially bolstering ridership and creating a critical link between the capital city and the state’s flagship university. Source: the University of Connecticut NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 40

Providence

Greenville, RI

• Northeast Regional

Danielson

New York City

York City is designed to replace the current alignment of the Northeast Corridor along the coastal route, however, train service is expected to continue south of New York largely as it exists today. The Northeast Limited service can reasonably expect to supersede the Acela; making no stops between Boston and New York City before proceeding towards Washington, DC. It is

Storrs / Willimantic

• Northeast Express

Hartford

• Northeast Limited

New Haven

the Northeast megaregion, permitting seamless transfers from buses and subways, The new proposed Northeast Corridor ridesharing services, and inter-city rail alignment would accommodate 12 trains services. By taking all of these elements into per hour in each direction, assuming that account, the service plan detailed below is the appropriate sidings and stations pull- not simply wishful thinking, but an actual outs are provided. This will permit a range baseline upon which a working service of new services in the corridor to cater to a schedule should be based in the future. number of different markets.

The proposed alignment north of New To maximize the utility of a new rail alignment, the studio recommends that four different types of service be offered on the line:

Manchester

PROPOSED RAIL SERVICES

Boston

These services will vary in their frequency as well as their stopping patterns.

The schedules and timetables for each of the services (outlined below) have been calculated based on the performance characteristics of a current state-of-the-art high-speed train. Characteristics of the line including grade changes, steep curves, and speed limit areas, especially through cities and towns, have also been factored into the schedule to ensure it will be possible to meet the expectations. Finally, performance has been planned so trains will have timed stops to allow passengers to switch from express to local or commuter services.

It is also anticipated that phone-based contactless ticketing will be instituted across

To Washington, DC

• Capital Connector

Northeast Limited Northeast Express Northeast Regional Capital Connector

Figure 9. The stopping pattern for each of the services offered on the new Northeast Corridor. The Limited Service is the most premium, stopping only in the biggest cities along the line and providing a 2 hour journey between New York and Boston. The number of bars for each service represents the number of trains in one direction during the peak hours. The Northeast Limited and Express trains will both operate trains every thirty minutes during peak travel hours, while the more affordable trains will run every fifteen minutes.

Source: the Studio

41 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

beyond the scope of the Studio to make any service planning recommendations south of New York City. Other services along the line will provide a menu of options to take a passenger’s time and price sensitivity into account as he/she travels along the corridor.

Just as the alignment of the route has been upgraded to support high-speed train-sets, all of the proposed upgrades to existing service will use the same types of trains.

Each service is described in greater detail below:

that are looking to travel to larger cities for leisure without the use of a car. This service is most comparable to today’s Acela.

Northeast Regional

Similar to today’s Northeast Regional Service, this line will run between Washington, D.C. and Boston making local stops at major towns and junctions along the way. In addition to the stops serviced by the Northeast Express Service, this train will make two additional stops between Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Northeast Limited Rhode Island: Storrs or Willimantic, This service will run directly from Connecticut, depending on the alignment, Boston to New York City without any and Danielson/Dayville, Connecticut. This intermediate stops before continuing on to line will serve the budget-conscious intercity Philadelphia and then Washington, D.C. travelers as well as those who live in smaller The primary customer for this route will towns along the route. be business travelers and luxury travelers looking for a getaway to another city. The Capital Connector Service Northeast Limited will serve as a upgraded This new service will provide frequent replacement for today’s Acela service. shuttle connections between Hartford and Providence, with intermediate stops Northeast Express at Manchester, Willimantic / Storrs, and This service will run between Boston Dayville / Danielson in Connecticut and and Washington D.C. and will stop in Greenville in Rhode Island. Connecting smaller cities along the way. In addition to north-south commuter rail services in the stops serviced by the Northeast Limited, Hartford and Providence will integrate the Express will also stop in cities such commutersheds throughout the New Haven as Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, - Springfield and Kingston - Boston rail Connecticut; New Haven, Connecticut; corridors. and Port Jefferson, New York. The primary customers who will be using this line include commuters who live in smaller cities and work in larger cities such as Boston. It is also an option for those living in smaller cities

PLATFORM STYLES To allow trains to pass each other at stations, a variety of platform styles will be employed in the Northeast Corridor.

A side platform configuration will allow express trains to continue on the main lines while commuter and regional trains are stopped at the station.

Side Platform 1

<< Express Trains

Express Trains >>

Side Platform 2

An island platform will be used in conjunction with side platforms for stations that are served by both commuter and express trains. This will allow two trains in each direction to stop at the station allowing transfers from express to local services.

Side Platform 1

Island Platform 2 / 3

Side Platform 4

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 42

COST OF STORRS VERSUS WILLIMANTIC ALIGNMENTS Depending on the assumptions and models used, the cost estimates of this project can vary drastically. In the United States, land acquisition costs can be quite high so mitigating the costs of acquisition through transparent public engagement will be critical to bring down costs.

Administrative, legal, and labor cost can be reduced by limiting the amount of time in the permitting process, reducing exposure to lawsuits, and reducing construction

times, respectively. To deliver large-scale rail projects in the U.K., government entities are created to streamline project review and permitting. Transport for the North, the agency dedicated to delivering High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) connecting London to Manchester and Leeds, is a prime example of an agency that has facilitated the building of a new major rail investment in the U.K. By following this model, the Studio believes that administrative red tape can be significantly reduced, which in turn could bring the price tag down.

These cost-reduction strategies were taken into account when determining cost estimates for the new Northeast Corridor alignment. The Studio presents three cost

estimates: one based on the status quo of rail projects in the United States, one based on German construction costs, and a third “aspirational” estimate that could be achieved through pursuit of expedited permitting timelines, red tape reduction, and aggressive schedules to cut the amount of time and number of labor hours required to deliver the project (See Table 1) . While the “aspirational” estimate is a good baseline for what the Studio believes a project should cost, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve this estimate without creating the proper legal infrastructure to push the project forward.

COST TABLES

U.S. Standard Cost Estimate Unit Cost Tunnel

Willimantic Alignment

($M/mi)

Miles

$ 930

19.4

Storrs Alignment

Cost ($B)

Miles

18.04

26.92 19.4

18.04 25.04

$ 338

7.2

2.43

1

0.34

Grade

$ 50

47.1

2.36

26.24

1.31

Aerial

$ 195

8.3

1.62

19.14

3.73

Total

$ 378.25

82

24.45

73.3

30.42

$ 298.16

Unit Cost

Cost ($B)

Trench

Cost per Route Mile ($M)

Erfurt - Leipzig Cost Estimate Cost

Willimantic Alignment

($M/mi)

Miles

$ 39.43

82

Aspirational Cost Estimate Unit Cost

Storrs Alignment

Cost ($B)

Miles

$ 3.23

19.4 73.3

Cost ($B) $18.04 2.89

($M/mi)

Willimantic Alignment

Storrs Alignment

Miles

Cost ($B)

Miles

Cost ($B)

Tunnel

$ 400

19.4

7.76

19.4 26.92

18.04 10.77

Trench

$ 169

7.2

1.22

1

0.17

Grade

$ 43

47.1

2.03

26.24

1.13

Aerial

$ 131

8.3

1.09

19.14

2.51

Total

$ 185.75

82

12.09

73.3

Cost per Route Mile ($M)

$ 298.16

14.57

$414.98

$414.98

Table 1. These tables show the different cost estimates by alignment and by methodology used. The chart to the far left is the United States cost estimate based on recent projects. The middle chart, the Erfurt-Leipzig cost, is here only for illustrative purposes. Projects in the United States can cost 4-5 times as much as similar projects overseas. Using the German cost per mile yields a figure that is far too low, but helps inform the aspirational cost estimate presetned in the table to the right. By trimming administrative and permitting costs and streamlining labor efforts, the Studio believes that the project can be delivered at a much more reasonable cost. The aspirational figures are presented here to show that granting a regional entity legal power to move the project forward may save taxpayer money on this and future infrastructure investments. Source: fafa fafa fawfa fawefa 43 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

SERVICE PLAN The stopping diagram (Figure 7) shows the frequency of the trains per hour at peak times. It can be assumed that during offpeak times, the trains would run at half the hourly frequency. Each line on the diagram indicates a pair of trains, one traveling in each direction. The station diagram represents the stopping pattern for each type of service.

To save cost, most of the route will be double-tracked with one train per direction.

The main line tracks will run down the middle of the right-of-way and commuter trains will pull onto sidings adjacent to the platform. This side configuration puts more space between the high speed trains and the general public, by aligning the higher speed trains down the middle of the right of way instead of towards the sides. It also allows the express trains to maintain speed since they have the straightest possible alignment through the area. Putting the high-speed tracks between the station platforms can also help to stop people from crossing the right-of-way to get to the station, which can be a problem with island configurations.

in each direction with overtakes occurring only at station locations. Station overtakes are critical because those are places where the right of way is already at its widest, so no additional takings have to occur to accommodate additional sidings.

To ensure a safe and realistic service plan, the characteristics of the train line (turns, tunnels, aerial structures, trenches, grade changes, and residential areas) as well as the the characteristics of the train (acceleration, top speed, stopping distance) were taken into consideration when making the plan. The Studio has determined that it should be possible to run a maximum of 12 trains per hour on the line with the following peak frequencies:

Types of Service Service Name

Peak Service

Off-Peak Service

Limited

North East Limited

2 Trains per Hour

1 Train per Hour

Express

North East Express

2 Trains per Hour

1 Train per Hour

Regional

North East Regional

4 Trains per Hour

2 Trains per Hour

Local

Capital Connector

4 Trains per Hour

2 Trains per Hour

Service Type

Table 2. This chart outlines the types of service that will be offered on the new Northeast Corridor alignment. The Limited and Express trains are more premium services that will likely attract a relatively smaller customer base, which is why they run at lower frequency. Source: the Studio

Time Between Stations Stations

Northeast Limited

Northeast Express

Northeast Regional

Boston

0

0

0

Capital Connector --

Providence

--

29 (29)

29 (29)

0 (0)

Greenville

--

--

--

5 (5)

Danielson / Dayville

--

--

14 (43)

11 (16)

• Northeast Limited (2 per hour)

Storrs/ Willimantic

--

--

11 (54)

12 (28)

Manchester

--

--

--

5 (33)

Hartford

--

26 (55)

10 (1:04)

9 (42)

• Northeast Express (2 per hour)

New Haven

--

26 (1:21)

26 (1:30)

--

New York

2:00

45 (2:06)

45 (2:15)

--

• Northeast Regional (4 per hour) • Capital Connector (4 per hour) The tables to the right and on the next page demonstrate how these train services are all able to fit on a single track in each direction and maintain a safe spacing.

Table 3. This table shows the time it will take each train to pass between stations. A “-” means the train will not make a stop in that location. Services range from the Northeast Limited which only stops in New York City and Boston to the Capital Connector, which stops at every station between Hartford and Providence. Source: the Studio

To maximize the efficiency of the rightof-way while minimizing space consumed, it is critical to estimate how many trains can be accommodated on the tracks. By performing such a scheduling exercise using the performance characteristics of a French TGV train, the studio was able to determine that 12 hourly trains could run on the line NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 44

High Speed Rail Schedule 60.00

Minutes Past the Hour

50.00

40.00

30.00

20.00

10.00

0.00

Hartford Union Station

Manchester Station

Storrs Station

Northeast Limited

Danielson Station

Northeast Express

Northeast Regional

Example Service Plan

Stations

Limited

Express

Limited

Express

New York Penn Station

3:54

3:55

3:56

--

4:06

--

4:24

4:25

4:22

--

4:36

--

New Haven

--

4:40

4:41

--

4:51

--

--

5:10

5:07

--

5:21

--

Hartford

--

5:06

5:07

5:07

5:17

5:18

--

5:36

5:33

5:38

5:47

5:48

Manchester

--

--

--

5:19

--

5:29

--

--

--

5:48

--

5:59

Storrs/Willimantic

--

--

5:17

5:25

5:28

5:34

--

--

5:45

5:54

5:59

6:04

Danielson / Dayville

--

--

5:28

5:37

--

5:46

--

--

5:56

6:05

6:10

6:16

Greenville

--

--

--

5:49

--

5:57

--

--

--

6:16

--

6:27

Providence

--

5:32

5:42

5:56

5:51

6:02

--

6:02

6:08

6:22

6:22

6:32

Boston

5:54

6:01

6:11

--

6:20

--

6:24

6:31

6:37

--

6:51

--

Regional Connector Regional Connector

45 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

Regional Connector Regional Connector

Greenville Station

Providence Station

Capital Connector

Figure 10. This table and chart work together to show how trains running at the peak will all fit on the tracks, only passing each other at station locations. The table to the left shows the stations on the line from New York City to Boston with all intermediate stops. The stop times are designed to allow transfers between the express trains and the regional trains. The line graph above shows that all the trains will fit on a single track in each direction without colliding. Overtakes are allowed at station locations since these locations will have two tracks in each direction. As discussed in the platform configuration box, some of the platforms will have side platforms with express tracks in the middle, while others will have island platforms in the middle to accommodate up to two trains in each direction at a time. This service plan is for illustrative purposes only to prove it is possible to run twelve trains per hour in each direction with the minimal-width right-of-way.

Source: the Studio

MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND LAND IMPACTS The studio has identified two viable alternative high-speed rail alignments that connect Hartford to Providence. Although parts of both alignments are sited on public rights-of-way, they both cross into public and privately owned conserved land at various points. The area between Hartford and Providence is home to a large reserve of contiguous and scenic forests and protected land, including the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. Consequently, great care must be exercised in designing a suitable rail alignment that interacts with these areas.

It is impossible to design a rail alignment with no impact on the natural environment unless it is placed entirely in a tunnel, which is not financially feasible given that a mile of tunnel can cost nearly a $1 billion dollars to construct. However, even though parts of the alignment will impact sensitive areas, steps can be taken to design, build, and maintain a rail route to mitigate these environmental impacts.

The Studio studied a variety of different types of “protected” land uses that may be impacted by the rail alignment. These open spaces include permanently protected lands that are owned by the state, towns,

or private conservation groups (See Figure 12). They also includes lands that are home to significant resources such as surface or groundwater sources or endangered species that must be preserved in their natural state as much as possible (See Figure 13).

When analyzing overall impact, this studio also calculated the number of impacted buildings (Figure 11), as this is also related to the impacts on existing land use.

For locations where these impacts cannot be avoided, mitigation strategies have been explored and should continue to be explored in order to minimize the overall impact. In particularly sensitive areas, tunnels, viaducts, or trenches can be used to preserve the natural environment. These structures remove the rail alignment from the surface, which helps to protect native flora and fauna from the construction and operation of high-speed trains. For areas The studio also took special care to site that are less sensitive, but home to a diverse the proposed rail alignments to minimize ecosystem, another possible strategy is to impacts on people’s homes and businesses install wildlife crossings, which is already to avoid disruptions to village and town a common practice for both rail and road centers. Some types of protected land, construction in many parts of the world. A such as large state forests and large tracts wildlife crossing is a bridge or underpass of undeveloped privately owned farm and that allows wildlife to safely cross a rightforest land, are significantly harder to avoid of-way without the risk of being hit by a New England Studio Rebooting New England Studio thenRebooting a single building due to their vast size. passing vehicle. These specially engineered

Buildings

Buildings

N

Massachusetts

N

Massachusetts

Providence Hartford

Providence Hartford

Last Green Valley

Last Green Valley

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Newport

New London

New Haven

Newport

New London

New Haven

LEGEND

LEGEND

Willimantic Alignment

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

Storrs Alignment

Buildings

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

Buildings

Figure 11. These two maps show the number of buildings impacted by each alignment. The Willimantic Alignment has collisions with 98 buildings versus the Storrs Alignment, which collides with 72 buildings.

Both alignments avoid well over 500 buildings, some of which will require mitigations. Source: the Studio

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 46

Protected Lands

Protected Lands

Rebooting New England Studio

Rebooting New England Studio

pathways help to funnel animals across them using fencing and natural plant life that attract native species. Placing these along the rail alignment would help reduce the overall impact of bisecting contiguous open spaces by creating a connection from one side to the other that allows animal migration to continue instead of isolating populations on either side of the rail line.

N

Massachusetts

Providence

Providence Hartford

Hartford

Last Green Valley

Last Green Valley

Rhode Island

Connecticut

N

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Newport

Newport

New London

New Haven

New London

New Haven

Along the proposed routes, there are opportunities to install these and other LEGEND LEGEND mitigation measures. For example, a highspeed rail line cannot cross over a road or water body at-grade out of safety concerns, Figure 12. These two maps show the impact of each alignment on protected land. While it looks like the Storrs alignment has direct contact with a large swath of protected land that the Willimantic Alignment so both alternative rail alignments have avoids, it should be noted that section is planned to be largely in a tunnel. Source: the Studio Rebooting New England Studio Rebooting New England Studio multiple non-grade crossing already built onservation Areas onservation Areas into their proposed routes. Each time one of these is constructed, either an underpass or an overpass for wildlife can be created along with it. In addition, animal crossings could be placed in the center of long stretches of rail where the alignment is at grade.

Precise locations of these crossings should be determined through ecological studies that determine where animals are currently crossing the proposed rail alignment. Special LEGEND LEGEND steps should be taken to ensure that this rail alignment does not to disrupt any migration patterns, access to mating grounds, or food sources.

Willimantic Alignment

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

Protected Lands

Storrs Alignment

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

Protected Land

C

C

N

Massachusetts

Providence

Providence

Last Green Valley

Hartford

Last Green Valley

Hartford

Rhode Island

Connecticut

N

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Newport

New London

New Haven

Newport

New London

New Haven

Willimantic Alignment

Storrs Alignment

Significant Habitat

Significant Habitat

Local Conservation Area

Local Conservation Area Local Aquifer

Local Aquifer

0 2.5 5

By considering both the ecological and economic impact of this train line, stakeholders across multiple interest groups can see investment in their areas of concern when this project comes to fruition.

10

15

20

Miles 25

Protected Wellhead

0 2.5 5

10

15

20

Miles 25

Protected Wellheads

Figure 13. These two maps show the difference in how many significant habitats, conservation areas, protected wetlands, and aquafers each alignment disrupts. To make the chosen alignment politically feasible, environmental impacts will be mitigated through the endowment fund. Source: the Studio

47 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

Storrs Alignment: Regional Impact Analysis Rebooting New England Studio

N Putnam

Tolland

Willington

Figure 14. These three maps depict zoomed-in versions of the impacts that the proposed Storrs alignment may have. Each image is a different scale that shows the natural diversity areas, protected parcels, and protected aquifers that are impacted throughout the rail alignment.

Eastford

Ashford

Pomfret

Dayville Killingly

Storrs Chaplin

Mansfield

Brooklyn

Hampton

Coventry

Willimantic

Andover

Plainfield Windham Columbia

Scotland

Lebanon

Natural Diversity Areas

Miles 8

Protected Parcels

Storrs Alignment: Storrs Station Impact Analysis

Storrs Alignment: Dayville Station Impact Analysis

0

1 Rebooting 2 4 Studio 6 New England

Sterling

LEGEND

Canterbury

Protected Aquifer

Rebooting New England Studio

Franklin

N

N Putnam

Willington

Tolland

Ashford

Eastford

Ashford

Pomfret

Killingly

Dayville

Coventry

Chaplin

Storrs

LEGEND

LEGEND

Natural Diversity Areas

0.5

Chaplin

Hampton Brooklyn

0

Mansfield

1

2

3

Miles 4

Protected Parcels Protected Aquifer

0

0.5 1 Andover

2

3

Miles 4

Natural Diversity Areas Protected Parcels

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 48

Willimantic Alignment: Regional Impact Analysis N Putnam

Tolland

Willington

Eastford

Ashford

Pomfret

Dayville Killingly

Storrs Chaplin

Mansfield

Brooklyn

Hampton

Coventry

Willimantic

Andover

Windham Scotland

Columbia

Sterling

Plainfield

Canterbury

LEGEND

Lebanon

Natural Diversity Areas

Figure 15. These three maps depict zoomed-in versions of the impacts that the proposed Willimantic alignment may have. Each image is a different scale that shows the natural diversity areas, protected parcels, and protected aquifers that are impacted throughout the rail alignment.

Willimantic Alignment: Dayville Station Impact Analysis Willimantic Alignment: Willimantic Station Impact Analysis Rebooting New England Studio

0

1

2

4

6

Miles 8

Rebooting New England Studio

Protected Parcels

Franklin

N

N Putnam Chaplin Mansfield

Coventry

Eastford

Ashford

Pomfret

Willimantic

Andover

Killingly

Dayville Windham Scotland

Columbia

Chaplin

Hampton Brooklyn

LEGEND

Hebron

Lebanon

LEGEND

CriticalHabitat

0

0.5

1

2

3

Miles 4

Natural Diversity Areas

Natural Diversity Area Conserved Parcel

0

0.5

1

2

49 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

3

Miles 4

Protected Parcels Franklin

ALTERNATIVE COMPARISON Both the Willimantic and Storrs Alignments appear to be viable options for a high-speed rail line connecting Hartford and Providence. Neither alignment has proven to be clearly superior because each has positive and negative attributes.

Instead of recommending one, this studio has chosen to present both alignments to provide public officials and local residents with realistic alternatives from which to choose.

Table 4, to the right, presents the results of the environmental and land analysis that was used to select each alternative rail alignment.

Impact Analysis - What will be avoided Locally Protected Land Protected Land Owned by an NGO Privately Owned Protected Land National Parks State Protected Land Protected Wellheads Critical Habitats Natural Diversity Areas Protected Aquifer Buildings

Willimantic Alignment

9 parcels 3 parcels 1 parcel 1 park 0 areas 0 wellheads 0 habitats 2 areas 1 aquifer 517 buildings

Storrs Alignment

8 parcels 3 parcels 1 parcel 1 park 3 areas 0 wellheads 0 habitats 8 1 aquifer 585 buildings

Impact Analysis - What will be impacted Locally Protected Land Protected Land Owned by an NGO Privately Owned Protected Land

Willimantic Alignment

16 parcels 5 parcels 4 parcels 0 parks 16 areas 1 wellhead 1 habitat 9 areas 0 aquifers 98 buildings

Storrs Alignment

11 parcels 3 parcels 3 parcels 0 parks 15 areas 1 wellhead 2 habitats 6 areas 1 aquifer 72 buildings

The environmental impact analysis looked at a wide range of ecological National Parks conditions within the area between Hartford and Providence. As shown by the ecological State Protected Land analysis, the alignment overall runs through Protected Wellheads some sensitive areas, including protected Critical Habitats land, water resources, and areas of complex biodiversity. The inclusion of the tunnels Natural Diversity Areas and bridges in each alignment was done in Protected Aquifer an attempt to mitigate some of the impacts Buildings that the rail alignment may have on the surface. For example, the Willimantic Table 4. These tables show the impact difference between the two alignments in terms of what will alignment originally plowed through 25 be impacted by the different alignments. Although the Willimantic Alignment is less costly, it also is locally protected area. After the inclusion much more impactful, which may add significant cost in legislation and mitigation. Source: the Studio NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 50

Figure 16. A map of the parcels surrounding each station that should be targeted for conservation.

The orange denotes large, unfragmented parcels that should remain that way if possible. Source: the Studio 51 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR

of two tunnels, that number was reduced to only 16. The Storrs alignment originally impacted 14 natural diversity areas identified by the Connecticut State Wildlife Action Plan. After putting in tunnels and viaducts, that number was reduced by more than half down to only 6. Both alignments are hitting only 1/6 or less of the total number of buildings they could have because of the non-grade sections.

and is willing to help finance it, then the Storrs alignment will become a much more appealing option. Regardless, analysis has been performed on both the Willimantic and the Storrs rail alignments and each have been deemed to be feasible based on their topography. The next steps for determining which alignment is preferable include establishing partnerships with local municipalities and organizations and doing a fine-grain engineering assessment In designing these alternatives, the and environmental impact statement. studio also considered the recommended Regardless, at this point, the two proposed station locations for each alignment in high-speed rail alignments align with the relation to a development threat data set current rail technology and design criteria provided by Harvard Forest as a part of the and should be considered equally viable New England Landscapes project. Areas when pursuing further analysis to determine outlined in Figure 16 should be ranked for the preferred alignment. purchase of conservation easements as soon as possible. Areas within two miles of the stations were excluded from consideration because these areas could be serviced with water and sewer infrastructure and made available for more compact, village scale development.

Figure 17. Source: Kabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder.ch) - Own work: http:// www.bahnbilder.ch/picture/8016fKabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder. ch) - Own work: http://www.bahnbilder.ch/ picture/8016

Based on this analysis and the costs presented previously, it is clear that both alignments have similar impacts, and neither is clearly superior in all categories. The determining factor as to which alignment will be chosen will depend on which aspects of the design are deemed most important.

For example, if the most important factor is cost and cost alone, then the Willimantic Alignment will likely be the best choice.

However, if the University of Connecticut becomes a major partner in this rail project NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 3 | A NEW NORTHEAST CORRIDOR 52

Underpinning Economic Revitalization in Hartford, Connecticut with High-Speed Rail “Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief. … Each house sits in the midst of about an acre of green grass, or flower beds or ornamental shrubbery, guarded on all sides by the trimmed hedges of arbor-vitae, and by files of huge forest trees that cast a shadow like a thunder-cloud. Some of these stately dwellings are almost buried from sight in parks and forests of these noble trees. Everywhere the eye turns it is blessed with a vision of refreshing green. You do not know what beauty is if you have not been here.” — Mark Twain, on first impressions of Hartford, Connecticut

INTRODUCTION Without a clear, causal nexus between the economic transformation of New England’s disinvested cities and the proposed rail initiative, building a coalition of support for the broader program will be politically difficult. As noted in the Executive Summary, Weitzman Design’s Rebooting New England Studio 2016 generated regionwide estimates of the economic and other benefits that would result from the highspeed rail program. Estimated benefits from the program totaled between $500 billion to $1 trillion over a 40-year period beginning in 2020, generating value at a 2.5-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio.

EXISTENTIAL THREATS The Studio has focused on Hartford as an example of just one of a score of mid-sized New England cities that have been bypassed by the recent prosperity of the Washington D.C. -New York City-Boston corridor, and that of the nation as a whole. Once livable, affordable, and navigable, Hartford has undergone nearly half a century of sustained economic decline. While Hartford’s decline has largely reflected national and regional trends, the process was also abetted by explicit and implicit state policies, including the extreme fragmentation of Connecticut’s political geography.

The independent incorporation of its suburbs left Hartford with a footprint of only 18 square miles, with much of the region’s middle- and upperincome households and its major employers located in wealthier suburban communities outside of the city’s boundaries.

The municipal budgets of Connecticut municipalities also rely overwhelmingly on property taxes; more than half of the City of Hartford’s land area is occupied by state office buildings, a non-profit, taxexempt use, leaving the city at a permanent structural deficit.

Building upon the 2016 Studio’s analysis, the 2019 Studio focuses on the potential for the proposed high-speed rail network and the associated workforce, urban housing and amenity development, and other investments to promote the economic transformation of one of New England’s disinvested cities: Hartford, Connecticut.

Based on the Studio’s examination of the U.K. Northern Powerhouse and Providence examples outlined in the “Regional Context Hartford and its metropolitan region and New England Cities” chapter, the Studio now face at least three key existential threats, is confident that these experiences can be summarized in Figure 1 and described replicated in Hartford and in the region’s below: other disinvested cities and places.

Climate change

Climate change may make Hartford’s weather less predictable and more severe, 55 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

including more devastating flooding events from the Connecticut and Park Rivers.

Growing highway congestion Hartford is one of two continental American capital cities (the other is Austin, Texas) without a beltway, meaning all drivers, including those wishing to simply travel through Hartford, must navigate directly through the city center. The city also lacks an effective street grid, with the result that Interstates 84 and 91 are beyond congested – congealed, rather – eating away at economic productivity, air quality, and quality of life for area residents.

Uneven distribution of housing, tax base, and labor markets Connecticut is one of the wealthiest states in the U.S., and Hartford one of the state’s wealthiest regions. The city’s income is distributed disproportionally to the suburbs, however, driving uneven housing markets between Hartford’s prosperous, tranquil bedroom communities and the poorer, often blighted neighborhoods within city limits. Figure 2 illustrates the extreme disparity of home values around the

Figure 1. Existential Source: The Studio.

Threats

facing

Hartford.

Figure 2. Median home values in Hartford County, by Census tract. Darker coloration indicates higher home values, up to $551,100, such as in the suburbs to the west and the southeast of downtown Hartford.

Home values as low as $99,100, denoted in lighter colors, are prevalent in downtown Hartford. Source: 20132017 American Community Survey, illustrated by the Studio.

Hartford region. Even at these lower rents, Hartford’s housing stock is not affordable for many of its lower-income residents, making it difficult for them to continue to call the city home.

Hartford and the broader New England region must think through how these assets can be reimagined and refurbished in a way that will best serve the needs of the twentyfirst century.

TRIPLE LEGACIES

Suburbanization and Highway Development

Much of downtown Hartford is today an unfortunate conglomeration of surface parking lots, large-scale developments, and high-speed expressways. As both the 1960s-era expressways and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor face concerns over durability and capacity issues, the City of

Hartford and every other Connecticut city today lives with the disastrous legacy of the state’s mid-twentieth-century highway builders. In every major city in the state, Interstate highway construction sliced through vast swaths of central business districts and vital residential communities,

seemingly with the goal of consuming as much urban real estate as possible. The new Interstates left vestigial business districts cut into pieces and isolated from the formerly vibrant neighborhoods nearby.

Limited access highways and interchanges were jammed into the hearts of cities across Connecticut — ushering in a negative quality of life, public health, and other impacts to these places — at a time when they were already reeling from “white flight” and the loss of industry and tax base. In Hartford as in most of Connecticut’s other major waterfront cities, including Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven, waterfront expressways isolated downtowns from the cities’ major rivers and/or the Long Island Sound.

The urban fabric of downtown Hartford was decimated by the construction of eastwest I-84 and north-south I-91 in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as seen in Figure 3 and Figure 4. I-84 vacillates between traveling at grade, on an elevated viaduct, and in a cut beneath the surface. Each form is quite deleterious to the quality of life in the surrounding blocks; towering highway barriers do little to limit the incessant road noise, but are nonetheless quite effective in deadening the continuity of the city. I-91 runs north-south through Hartford along the Connecticut River, effectively isolating the city from its major river, waterfront heritage, and the cultural and recreational opportunities that the Connecticut River could provide current and would-be residents. Several U.S. cities, including

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 56

Figure 3. Downtown Hartford before and after the construction of I-84 in 1971. Source: Norman Garrick.

San Francisco, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; and Seattle, Washington have removed or redesigned their urban expressways to reconnect their downtowns with their urban waterfronts; Hartford should consider doing the same.

making downtown Hartford an easy, efficient place to enter (and flee) by car has had the unfortunate side effect of drawing much of the urban life out of the city, condemning much of broader central city to a weekday “8 to 5” existence (see Figure 5).

Figure 4. A close-up of the devestation of downtown Hartford’s urban fabric. Source: Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library.

projects reduced the livability of the city’s downtown. Instead, the city of Hartford has become a better and better place to have a business meeting or host a major convention, but less so a place to call home or stroll around after the workday is over.

These developments have catered primarily Urban Renewal to users living outside the city, and in doing These Interstates, by both definition Misguided urban renewal efforts in so create additional demand for parking. and design, provide travelers fast and easy automobile access from outside the city the 1970s through early 2000s, including The Capital Region Development directly to various locations throughout the Constitution Plaza office complex, the Authority (CRDA), a new economic downtown Hartford. These routes then XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic development authority for the greater quickly usher drivers into one of a multitude Center), and multiple district surface Hartford area, has the power to assemble of parking options ranging from multi-story parking projects, further decimated some of land and undertake reinvestment projects garages, to sub-surface parking, to surface the remaining strong blocks in downtown in the city’s core. CRDA is now working parking lots that have replaced formerly Hartford. By eliminating several blocks of with state government offices and private historic buildings.

Although Hartford fine-grained, small-scale neighborhoods and developers to redevelop three large blocks remains Connecticut’s largest employment replacing them with towering multi-block of surface parking just south of the Bushnell center, the city’s undeniable success in structures to be utilized just a handful of Performing Arts Center and east of the times per month, Hartford’s urban renewal 57 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

State Capitol Building. This project could become a prototype for the reclamation of the extensive surface parking surrounding Hartford Union Station, as detailed below.

Samuel Stone.

Figure 5. Declining Downtown Hartford

Deindustrialization

In 1839, the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, became the first railroad to operate into the city, connecting Hartford to coastal New Haven and by 1872, to New York City.

Hartford has a strong history of industry, innovation, and high-tech manufacturing.

Some examples of Hartford-area industry are shown in Figure 6. The city’s industrial legacy began in 1623, when Fort Hoop was established by the Dutch as a fur trading post. The fort was abandoned in 1654. The first English immigrants arrived in 1635.

They called it “Newtown” and changed its name to Hartford in 1637. The name was taken from Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, the hometown of Hartford founder

Spreading across the Atlantic Ocean from England, the Industrial Revolution caught an early American foothold along the Connecticut River. The Springfield Armory, located only 25 miles from Hartford, was established by George Washington in 1777 and quickly became a focal point for the Connecticut Valley’s industrial transformation in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Samuel Colt opened Colt Firearms in Hartford in 1848, spawning an entire industry of suppliers

Figure 6. Industry in Hartford - Past and Present (right).

Source: Connecticut Historical Society, 197355.0.1.

Past Underwood and Royal Typewriters (1) Colt Firearms (2) Columbia Bicycles (3) Weed Sewing Machines (4) Present United Technologies, parent company of Pratt & Whitney (5) and Collins Aerospace (7) “The Hartford” Financial Services Group (6) Aetna Inc. (Health insurance; 8) Carrier (HVAC systems) and Otis Elevator Company

(1)

(2)

“The central City has done well in terms of office development in the 60’s. However, it has lost nearly all its color and vitality with the elimination of its former residents and evening entertainment activity. Consequently, Downtown Hartford is today as routine and uninteresting as the ‘eight to five grind.’”

— From “Downtown Hartford: the 70’s, a 10year development guide written by the Hartford Commission on the City Plan,” 1969.

and distributors that assisted in making Colt a household name. Boston native Albert Pope moved to Hartford in 1878 to design and produce an early version of the bicycle, launching a new form of transportation. Pope sought to expand the frontier of transportation in 1897 with an early automobile model but was unable to make this commercially viable. Despite this, Pope and Colt both contributed to the advancement of the assembly line and interchangeable parts as prominent characteristics of modern, efficient manufacturing.

By the 1970s, however, Hartford began to experience a phenomenon all too familiar in many other American Rust Belt cities.

Industrial and manufacturing jobs gradually begin to leave for less expensive locations

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

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in the American South and overseas. As major employers packed up and left town throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the income sources of many Hartford residents disappeared relatively rapidly, causing increasing economic hardship, particularly within the city’s urban neighborhoods.

Today, dozens of vacant factory buildings and blighted industrial properties dot Hartford’s urban landscape (in the historic Parkville neighborhood, for example). This historic brick warehouse district is now being repurposed for creative “makerspace.”

While unsightly today, the buildings and neighborhoods around them are ripe for redevelopment and reuse, and can once again become positive components of the city’s image and economy.

worth preserving and leveraging as the city looks to the future. Hartford’s strong cultural institutions and traditions, as well as its status at the state capital and its proximity to the state’s flagship public research university, can become a foundation for its regeneration efforts.

Manufacturing Legacy

could pioneer in this transformation. This type of manufacturing does not benefit from economies of scale and as such is much more difficult to offshore. In addition, many of the jobs in this sector do not require postsecondary skills, making them well suited for graduates of Hartford’s public schools.

Further, Hartford has ample vacant industrial buildings that can be retrofitted Two industries — advanced and customized for any type of high-tech manufacturing and insurance — made production, as well as vacant mixed-use Hartford and its metropolitan area one of the storefronts where the artisan could live wealthiest regions in the country for much upstairs and operate commercially at the of the past century. Despite setbacks, both sidewalk level. still play important roles in the city’s current economy and offer future opportunities. Bushnell Park Manufacturing still maintains residual Bushnell Park and the State Capitol strength around Hartford. The state of building, shown in Figure 7, are the crown Fortunately, Hartford’s position as Connecticut currently hosts over 60,000 jewels of downtown Hartford. Designed the “Insurance Capital of the World” has insurance sector jobs, the bulk of whom are by storied landscape architect Jacob proved more enduring. Beginning with the clustered around Hartford, a number that Weidenmann in the style that became founding of the Hartford Fire Insurance has increased by 2.3% year-over-year since associated with Frederick Law Olmsted, Company in 1810, Hartford has been home 2017.

Bushnell Park opened in the late 1850s and to some of the largest and most significant Hartford’s place in history as a hotspot for endures as the oldest publicly funded park property, casualty, life, and health insurance innovation and high-skilled manufacturing in the U.S. Today, the park’s 50 acres offers companies operating in the United States leaves behind a wealth of institutional ample green space for active recreation, and abroad. A quick visit to Asylum Hill knowledge and cultural inclination for this passive relaxation, and sweeping views of elucidates the tremendous economic value type of industry in the future. Though low- the downtown skyline. of these institutions, though of course not skill, high-volume manufacturing will not A bandshell in the park hosts several all of the wealth they create remains within return to Hartford in the near future, the city limits. city’s opportunity lies in bespoke precision concerts in the summer. Bushnell Park is also production that requires highly skilled home to a stunning historic Brooklyn-built individuals, such as additive manufacturing carousel dating to 1914 (see Figure 8). By HISTORIC ASSETS promoting more public attention toward the and 3D printing. park and more intentionally programming it Despite the harm inflicted by these Stanley Black & Decker’s new Stanley as the center of regional cultural happening, triple legacies, Hartford maintains several Technology Center in Constitution Plaza Hartford can leverage this great asset to valuable cultural and architectural assets 59 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

develop civic pride and promote greater interest in the city’s downtown.

Connecticut Science Center and Wadsworth Atheneum The Connecticut Science Center, opened in 2009, functions as a bridge between the city’s industrial past and its potential for a future of technological incubation and innovation. The Science Center focuses on making science and technology accessible to the youth and frequently welcomes school

trips from throughout the state. The $165 a Gothic Revival-style castle completed in million project was completed primarily 1844. with state funding.

Employment Center The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum Greater Hartford is the largest of Art, as shown in Figure 9, is another prominent example of Hartford’s employment center in the State of After Boston-Cambridgeoutstanding cultural institutions. As the Connecticut. oldest continually operating public art Nashua, Hartford- West Hartford- East museum in the U.S. and the largest museum Hartford is New England’s second largest in Connecticut, The Wadsworth Atheneum employment hub, based on 2017 American boasts an extensive collection of classic Community Survey 5-year average data international and American artwork inside (see Figure 10). With the tremendous

Figure 8. Bushnell Park Carousel. A Wurlitzer #153 Band Organ provides the music. Source: Taken by the Studio.

Figure 9. The Grand Room at the Wadsworth Atheneum in downtown Hartford. Source: Smith Edwards McCoy.

Figure 7. (Right) Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, with the Corning Fountain in foreground and the Connecticut State Capitol Building in background. Source: Expedia.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 60

amount of economic activity and workers creating value in the city on a daily basis, Hartford has the potential to transform itself from a commuter city into a true livework-recreate destination. As of February 2019, the most recent data available at time of this publication, however, greater Hartford’s over 625,000 civilian sector jobs now ranks the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford employment center as the region’s third largest, having now been eclipsed by Providence-Warwick.

State Capital

Figure 10. Relative

sizes

of

New

England

As the capital of the State of Connecticut, employment centers. Source: 2013-2017 American Hartford benefits from a stable base of Community Survey, illustrated by the Studio. employment and income. Because of the large presence of public sector employees and the secondary service industries that support them, Hartford is less vulnerable to certain macroeconomic shifts that may affect other cities. If the proposed new high-speed rail link can bring the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) flagship campus at Storrs within 15 minutes’ travel time of downtown Hartford (see Figure 11), the city could gain the twin engines of economic development — state government and the premier public research university — that have underpinned the revitalization of other places with these shared assets, including Columbus, Ohio; Lansing, Michigan; Austin, Texas; and Madison, Wisconsin.

Figure 11. Current automobile and proposed future high-speed rail routes from Hartford to Storrs. Source: The Studio.

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EXISTING CHALLENGES INCOME INEQUALITY The Hartford metropolitan region has among the largest city-suburb wealth inequalities of any American city, as illustrated in Figure 12. Though certain sectors of the economy (such as the insurance industry) create vast amounts of wealth in the office buildings downtown, many of the highest income earners make their homes outside the city of Hartford, generally to the suburbs west and east of the city.

The city holds high concentrations of low income, unskilled workers and most of the area’s minority residents. The suburbs are home to high concentrations of middle- and upper- income, high-skilled workers, and the bulk of the white residents. Wealth is still generated in Hartford, but much of it escapes the city. As the income and wealth leaves, the city is strapped of resources that will help its residents move up the income ladder. Job training partnerships between Hartford’s primary employers and city residents can help bridge this gap, connecting low-skilled individuals with opportunities to build valuable skills and earn higher incomes.

WORKFORCE MISMATCH The high-paying jobs that fill the offices

Figure 12. Median household incomes in Hartford County, by Census tract. Higher incomes, up to $199,250, are denoted with darker coloration and are more prevalent in the suburbs to the west and southeast of downtown Hartford. Lower incomes are denoted in lighter colors and are more prevalent in downtown Hartford. Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey, illustrated by the Studio.

of downtown Hartford generally require a degree of education that is not found with Hartford residents. Unfortunately, most City of Hartford residents occupy low-wage service jobs, serving the office workers and in establishments in the wealthier suburbs.

This tremendous skills gap prevents poorer residents from attaining higher paying jobs that would benefit their families and community, and likewise reinforces a cycle where those with the skills to occupy highpaying jobs are incentivized to take their incomes with them and enjoy them outside of city limits.

innovation economy, entrepreneurs will need a stronger, wider pool of technologically capable labor to recruit from. Partnerships with the Hartford area’s technical and trade schools, as well as its traditional two- and four-year colleges and universities, can build a talent pipeline to serve the region’s hightech and skilled manufacturing sectors. This more robust career development program may help attract additional qualified candidates to greater Hartford’s educational institutions, many of whom may ideally stay in Connecticut for the longer term.

Connecticut has the 6th highest rate of To assist in rebuilding Hartford’s “brain drain” of any U.S. state, as defined NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 62

by its net outflow of college graduates in 2012.

By contrast, neighboring Massachusetts ranks third in “brain gain.”

Despite its multitude of strong institutions of higher education—including Trinity and Connecticut Colleges, University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, and Yale, Wesleyan, and Quinnipiac Universities, among others—many who graduate from college in Connecticut move elsewhere upon completing their education.

To build its economy, Hartford should focus on attracting and retaining those graduating from college.

Connecticut House Bill No. 5586 (Session Year 2017) sought to incentivize individuals graduating college (including those who had completed their degrees within the past two years), by offering income tax credits over a five year period. Despite the stated purpose of “retaining a highly educated workforce and strengthening Connecticut’s economy,” H.B. 5586 was not voted upon during the 2017 session and remains shelved as of the publication of the Studio.

CTNext, an entrepreneurship resource center wholly owned by Rocky Hillbased venture capital firm Connecticut Innovations, offers a suite of assistance to help other Connecticut-based businesses grow, innovate, and compete in the modern economy. CTNext, a self-described “public/ private network of passionate people who offer services to busy entrepreneurs,” including counseling, mentorship, and seminars. CTNext launched in 2012 and

now counts more than 2,500 members.

CTNext expanded its mission with its Innovation Places grant program in 2016.

Innovation Places helps “key places in the state become magnets for talent, support[s] entrepreneurship in higher education, and focus[es] more on growth-stage companies.”

Hartford and East Hartford were among the program’s grantees in 2017, receiving a combined $2,000,000 in Innovation Places funding for an insurance-technology accelerator, a medical-technology innovation district, next-generation aerospace and advanced manufacturing technology, and talent, placemaking, and social capabilities.

SURFACE PARKING Downtown Hartford is stuck in an unfortunate equilibrium where real estate market demand cannot support new construction, leaving the city’s core scarred with unsightly surface parking lots. There are currently over 25,000 off-street parking spaces throughout downtown Hartford that are accessible to the public (see Figure 13), as well as many more in private lots and on the streets. Hartford’s surface parking lots consume the overwhelming majority of its parking land use, but provide only 23% of the spaces. This inefficiency wastes undervalued urban land and generally results in acres of “parking craters” that sit empty for the bulk of the time. In addition, parking lots contribute to the urban heat Figure 13. Surface parking in downtown Hartford island effect, which will only be exacerbated in 1960 and 2000. Source: Norman Garrick and Christopher McCahill. by climate change.

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Because surface parking is such an inefficient land use, the City of Hartford loses about $1,200 in tax revenue per year, per parking space, for a combined $50 million annual subsidy. By transitioning the surface parking to more valuable land uses, the remaining parking spaces can be consolidated into structured and subsurface parking. Eventually, as transit options increase and as automated vehicles and transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft expand their services, there should be a reduction in demand for all forms of parking in Downtown Hartford. As this occurs, land currently devoted to moving and storing cars can be transitioned to higher value uses. Zürich, Switzerland provides a helpful example of a city that has returned from the brink of parking armageddon (see Figure 14).

ANOMIC URBAN DESIGN Downtown Hartford’s urban form consists primarily of post-World War II era large-floor plate office towers and multiblock megaprojects, such as Constitution Plaza, as seen in Figure 15. By spanning entire blocks, much of the downtown’s pedestrian realm at the sidewalk level is relegated to blank walls and great distances between street crossings and points of interest.

The buildings themselves tend to have undistinguished concrete or glass facades lacking any features that relate to Hartford’s history or sense of place. Commuters can drive seamlessly from the expressways to

the arterials, directly into their corporate parking garages and get right to their desks, without ever mixing with others at the street level. In a word, the bland urban design leads to citizen “anomie,” leaving residents Figure 14. Zürich, Switzerland Zürich, Switzerland’s largest city, has come back from the brink of domination by surface parking.

To accommodate parking demand from residents and tourists in automobiles, the city constructed an ever-increasing parking supply from the 1950s to the 1970s, which in turn begot more motorists looking for parking, further reducing the density of residents and commerce. UConn Professor of Civil Engineering Norman Garrick notes “this seems to have a lot to do with the amount of space that is needed for parking. In other words, space used for parking is simply not available for more productive uses.”

After the gradual “corrosion” and “blighting” of its charming, historic, walkable downtown by code-mandated minimums of surface parking,

and visitors alike feeling alienated and uninspired.

Zürich brokered a “historic compromise” in 1996 that capped the number of parking spaces in the city core at the 1990 level. Whereas most cities mandate a minimum number of spaces per building area (e.g. 3-5 spaces per 1,000 sf of retail is common in many American cities), Zürich’s 1996 parking reform implemented a maximum parking ratio of 0.08 spaces per 1,000 sf of floor space in the city center and 0.75 space per 1,000 sf elsewhere in the city. New parking built since 1996 is entirely below-ground and replaces former surface spaces on a one-to-one basis.

The result today is a thriving, vibrant city center with fewer cars, better public transportation, and a greater quality of life.

Figure 15. Anomie anomie (noun) an·​o·​mie | \ ‘a-nə-mē \ variants: or less commonly anomy Definition of anomie : personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals “In the face of these prevailing values, many workers experience a kind of anomie. Their jobs become empty, meaningless, and intrinsically unsatisfying.”

— Robert Straus Source: Taken by the Studio.

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Referring to The Merritt / Wilbur Cross Parkways (see Figure 16) and I-95 as the state’s two primary lifelines to New York City at a 2018 policy forum in Springfield, Massachusetts, Governor Dannel P. Malloy Hartford, Connecticut is one of a score called the first one a “museum” and the latter of mid-sized New England cities that were a “parking lot.” Figure 17 demonstrates the among the most vibrant and attractive urban limited reach of these expressways. centers in the United States for more than a Hartford itself is a very drivable city but century, until the 1950s. Since then, these has limited bicycle lanes and infrastructure, places have undergone sustained economic as illustrated in Figure 18. A short-lived decline due to the loss of manufacturing, the experiment with bike share downtown was construction of devastating urban highways, winding down as of the publication of the and the clearance of vast areas of the city for Studio. Pedestrians experience anomie and urban renewal projects and surface parking. hot trips across parking lots in the summer.

INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

Because of increased highway congestion and slower and less reliable rail service, Hartford is now less connected to the rest of region—and especially to Boston and New York City—than it was half a century ago.

The goal of the Rebooting New England Initiative is to rebuild the economies of Hartford and those of New England’s other left-behind cities by transforming the

economic geography of New England and the nearby New York City metropolitan area. This would be achieved by building a network of high-speed and highperformance rail lines linking all of the region’s left-behind cities to one other and to the region’s economic engines, New York City and Boston. This rail network will bring Hartford, Connecticut within one hour of both New York City and Boston, and consequently, make it the center of the world’s largest innovation network.

However, while this rail investment will be necessary, it will not be sufficient to achieve the desired economic transformation.

Achieving this vision will require a coordinated set of other investments in Hartford. Closer to downtown Hartford, the existing infrastructure is eroding (see Figure 19). Built more than six decades ago to

Figure 16. The Merritt Parkway opened in 1938.

The Merritt stretches for over 37 miles from the New York State border up to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Connecticut Route 15), and is known for the unique architectural styles of its overpasses, no two of which are alike. Source: Connecticut Department of Transportation.

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Figure 17. The Merritt / Wilbur Cross Parkways and I-95 function as Connecticutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical lifelines to New York City. Source: The Studio.

Figure 18. Bike lanes, shown in dark green, are very limited in downtown Hartford. Source: The Studio.

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outmoded design standards and now beyond the end of their useful lives, Interstates 84 and 91 in and around downtown Hartford are now highly congested, unsafe, and crumbling. These urban highways divide the downtown’s major employment centers from one other and isolate it from the city’s residential neighborhoods and from its riverfront.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) has explored options for rebuilding these segments of I-84 and I-91 for much of the past decade and has recently proposed rebuilding them largely in place with only minor reconfigurations, at a cost of tens of billions of dollars. The I-84 East to I-91 North flyover ramp, in particular, is past its expiration date and badly needs to be repaired or replaced. In lieu of “bandaid fixes” to shore up the flyover as is, the Studio proposes that ConnDOT investigate the potential to relocate or reconfigure these roads to reduce congestion and pollution, to reduce their impacts on the city’s downtown, and to free up new land for urban development.

These and Connecticut’s other urban expressways, such as I-84’s “Mixmaster” interchange in Waterbury, will require tens of billions of dollars to repair or replace.

ConnDOT is now wrestling with how to finance these investments and is also considering how to address some of their residual economic, urban quality of life, and public health impacts.

Similar circumstances face virtually every other American city and their respective state highway departments. This presents an opportunity for a future federal infrastructure program to provide major funding to rebuild urban expressways both to improve traffic flows and reduce their impacts on cities. Since 2016, Congressman John Larson (D-CT 1st District) has proposed burying all of Interstates 84 and 91 through downtown Hartford, which would likewise cost at least $10 billion. These trends could coalesce to make possible — or perhaps even prudent — a complete rethinking of these roadways in and around downtown Hartford.

This may include relocating I-91 to the east side of the Connecticut River, sinking the highway in place to reduce its “barrier effect” between downtown and the Connecticut River, or transforming it into a surface arterial road, similar to Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway. In either case, major changes to I-91 would likely be in the last phase of a comprehensive rebuild of Hartford area infrastructure.

When embarking on the cost-intensive work of burying any major transportation infrastructure, authorities should seek to economize by repurposing current infrastructure to the extent possible, or exploiting economies of scale by completing all required digging in the same phase.

This includes not having to relocate I-84 or making use of the existing north-south rail viaduct and Hartford Union Station. The high-speed rail project will not require any

67 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

new above-ground infrastructure.

While carrying out its other earthmoving infrastructure projects, Hartford should also move forward with “daylighting” the Park River, which is currently buried in an underground culvert. This may, in fact, be necessitated by tunneling required for the high-speed rail and by the increased frequency and severity of rainfall events already being experienced as a result of climate change, which could overwhelm the capacity of this 80-year old facility.

Returning the Park River to the surface — or at least recreating a “tap water” stream along the river’s old water course — will bring new life to Bushnell Park and downtown Hartford.

Please see the “Proposed Rail Alignment Options” and “Bringing It All Together” chapters for more details on the proposed transportation and infrastructure interventions.

Figure 19. Crumbling Infrastructure in the shadow of the Connecticut State Capitol in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Source: Christine Stuart / CTNewsJunkie.

approved radical changes to their city’s zoning code in January 2016. Hartford adopted a “form-based code” for the entire city, supplanting the traditional “Euclidean” or “use-based” zoning that defined its past and that of virtually all American towns both large and small. Traditional zoning DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES prescribes what uses are and are not A longer-term goal should be to redevelop permitted in certain parts of certain city Hartford’s 1950s-era urban renewal sites, blocks, and then imposes ambiguous, often such as Constitution Plaza, into new mixed- conflicting limitations on building size, use districts. The city’s former street grid setbacks, and parking. Meant to ensure should be restored on these sites, and new the separation of certain conflicting uses incremental development encouraged at a (such as playgrounds and heavy industrial), human scale by small-cap developers and Euclidean zoning also inadvertently creates self-builders. space between often complementary uses Though disconnected from one another (such as apartments and corner-store retail) by the I-84 right-of-way, the neighborhoods and provides little certainty of the style and around Downtown Hartford retain quality of the development that will result. distinctive strengths and identities. The In comparison, form-based codes introduction of high-speed rail would make “focus on the physical form of buildings” downtown Hartford an extremely attractive and “encourage diverse, attractive and to live, work, and build. If left entirely to walkable streets, protect the character of market forces, it is not unlikely that Hartford neighborhoods, and encourage development would be remade in a generic, “anywhere in by making it more predictable and less America” pattern. This would consist of large administratively cumbersome [the 2016 floor-plate glass and steel office buildings revision reduced the text of the zoning and sleek luxury condo towers, neither of code from 61 pages to three].” Hartford’s which say “Hartford.” Financial institutions new code wisely allows complementary would occupy much of the office space, and uses to again be located on the same block. the high rents commanded by the newly Most notably, Hartford’s new zoning code constructed housing may lessen Hartford’s eliminated parking requirements in the affordability, driving existing residents out downtown district, where parking is already of the city’s urban neighborhoods. abundant. The lack of required parking

URBAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

The Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Hartford unanimously

for new downtown development reduces the construction cost for developers, making new residential and commercial

development more feasible. This may, in turn, increase the supply of affordably priced housing by lowering the price point at which new residences must be sold or rented for developers to achieve a positive return. In addition, Hartford’s new code has won praise from environmental groups for its robust integration of waterway protection, urban agriculture and tree canopies, and clean energy, among other “green” features.

In advance of any major speculative interest in the city, Hartford should closely examine and consider revising its zoning codes and land development ordinances, fine-tuning the progressive strides the city made in 2016. In particular, Hartford’s zoning may possibly be tweaked to promote even higher densities in the urban core and discourage excess parking (even when built voluntarily), especially at the surface level.

The City of Hartford and the CRDA should also consider pursuing a land assembly strategy. Though the city owns a small number of the surface parking lots nearest the State Capitol, the remaining privately owned surface lots—particularly those around Hartford Union Station—are vulnerable to acquisition by speculative developers, which may not result in the type of development consistent with the city’s vision. By offering the private owners a buyout at today’s fair market value, the public sector can save on acquisition costs that would likely rise as high-speed rail plans progress. More importantly, Hartford’s control of land disposition will ensure

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development proceeds desirably, and reliably.

incrementally,

political representatives in July 2017.

Learning from the FRA’s missteps, the Studio seeks not only to be upfront about Public control of downtown land, the potential negative localized impacts of coupled with Hartford’s new form-based the proposed inland high-speed rail route, code, should make small scale, incremental but also to proactively communicate and development by small-cap developers and advocate for strategies to minimize and self-builders much more feasible, even in mitigate these impacts, with the goal of a scenario of heightened market interest by building local consensus in favor of the large developers with more resources. The project. A high-speed rail corridor through simplified zoning and approvals process the Last Green Valley will indeed have elucidate what can be done rather than what many impacts on the Valley’s landscapes cannot, attracting self-builders interested in and communities—many positive, but some making tangible changes in the community negative. The Studio presents a series of they want to call home. potential offsets to these negative impacts, These graphics represent just some that recognize and address the challenges hypothetical uses that might nicely occupy currently facing the Last Green Valley, and the respective blocks and buildings. In light particularly its communities that will not of the form-based code governing urban benefit directly from high-speed rail. design throughout Hartford since January The City of Hartford and the CRDA 2016, the rendering seeks to demonstrate should engineer and administer a program to the type of development that might best connect small-cap developers with adequate, complement the existing buildings and reliable funding. Small-cap developers in uses and new uses that may become more Hartford today operate on slim margins prevalent with high-speed rail. and largely pursue their refurbishment

larger scale, hastening the rate at which the city’s lower-income residences are upgraded and blighted neighborhoods are revitalized.

Further, reliable access to reasonable capital will keep small-cap developers competitive with the larger national developers that are likely to descend upon Hartford following a high-speed rail commitment. Jumpstart Germantown offers capital, training, and networking assistance to small-cap developers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a helpful example of a grassroots, developerfriendly organization that could benefit Hartford (see Figure 20).

Hartford has a handful of Opportunity Zones, designated by the State of Connecticut following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Blighted Census tracts 5246 and 5037, just northwest of Bushnell Park, may be ideal targets for Opportunity Zone investors, who (generally speaking) may eliminate their deferred capital gains taxes if they remain invested in development projects inside the Opportunity Zone for at least ten years. East Hartford and south and upgrade projects due to a personal Hartford also have numerous Opportunity connection to the city and its neighborhoods, Zone tracts; there are no Opportunity Zones FINANCING STRATEGIES rather than the clear potential for windfall in Hartford’s downtown core. The City of The Studio has studied the Federal profits. Access to capital has regularly been Hartford and the CRDA can help facilitate Railroad Administration’s (FRA) experience cited as the primary reason for the slow pace these Opportunity Zone investments (as in exploring adjustments to the coastal and small scale of revitalization in Hartford. well as other investments) by connecting Northeast Corridor route.

The FRA willing investors with small-cap developers By facilitating “microloans” (of up to and self-builders seeking financing, and failed to honestly engage the public in the communities that were to be affected by the $200,000, for example) at low, nominal then handling the administration of these adjustments, both negatively and positively, interest rates (e.g. 4%), Hartford can enable investments. and soon after had their project quashed its small-cap developers to leverage their Hartford may also be wise to by outrage from these residents and their intimidate familiarity with the city at a 69 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

Figure 20. Jumpstart Philly Office Retail.

Germantown.

explore “value capture” mechanisms for development precipitated by the high-speed rail campaign, both to capitalize on property appreciation for public purposes and to keep Hartford affordable for the next generation.

Here are some options that might help Hartford maximize the “community return” on the private investment that follows highspeed rail.

Source:

Jumpstart is a “successful community development program that combines slow, steady growth, scattered site rehab, and a mix of affordable and market-rate housing.” Jumpstart, which originated in early 2015 in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has grown from a “couple of student” mentees to now offering four classes per year to 75 mentees at a time, in the Germantown location alone. Jumpstart now operates separate “chapters” in seven Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Jumpstart’s three core program services seek to train and equip aspiring and experienced local, small-cap developers revitalize their neighborhoods incrementally – one property at a time – a more hopeful alternative to the largescale urban renewal approach that has proven so devastating for Hartford and numerous other cities. Hartford should seek to launch a new Jumpstart “chapter” or to replicate Jumpstart’s services in a similarly modeled program.

Training Program Jumpstart “educates novice developers … [to gain] a working knowledge of real estate acquisition, financing, construction, leasing, and property management, … then connects them with more experienced real estate professionals, … with an emphasis on providing opportunities to minority and women investors.”

Developers’ Network Jumpstart emphasizes that community developers should not be in competition with

one another, fighting over the same piece of the pie, but rather “making connections between community developers and building mutually beneficial relationships to ‘grow the pie’ [by] sharing resources, such as tenants, contractors, vendors, and potential properties.”

Loan Program Jumpstart offers simplified application “microloans” to qualified start-up and small-scale community developers. Since they are meant to facilitate small-scale redevelopment and upgrades to the neighborhood, loans are made for 12-month terms and are interest-only until construction is completed. Jumpstart loans are offered at up to 85% of the total acquisition and construction costs (requiring an equity contribution of 15%).

If the City of Hartford and the CRDA were to acquire through eminent domain and “land bank” many of the most valuable parcels nearest Hartford Union Station, the land bank could then offer the parcels to private developers through 99-year ground leases. This way, the private developers could enjoy profits up to a contractually determined maximum, with the public sector receiving the excess cash flows every year as sort of “Endowment for the City,” a revenue stream that captures a significant portion of the value created for current and future generations. In addition, the community would also directly benefit from the appreciation of these properties when the land bank periodically renegotiates the ground leases. The City of Hartford and the CRDA could tap on the goodwill of the city’s strong insurance sector employers to pool the initial investment for the land banking.

BUSHNELL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AREA SITE PLAN The “Gateway to Downtown Hartford,” the blocks immediately east and southeast of the Bushnell Performing Arts Center, is NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 70

today a bleak surface parking lot. Instead of this unfortunate icon, the city-owned parking lots near the Bushnell Performing Arts Center and Bushnell Park should feature an integrated mix of residences, office and artist space, community-oriented retail,

and public space, as illustrated in Figure 21 and Figure 22. As explained in Figure 23, the Bushnell Performing Arts Center could follow the example of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to generate revenue for its cultural missions by capitalizing upon

its real estate assets.

Figure 21. A hypothetical site plan for the “Gateway to Hartford” redevelopment project. In the spirit of Hartford’s form-based code, the uses represented here are meant to illustrate the mix and variety of uses that may characterize the newly created mini-community but are by no means prescriptive. Source: The Studio.

71 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

Figure 22. A hypothetical massing model for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gateway to Hartfordâ&#x20AC;? redevelopment project. Source: The Studio.

Figure 23. One Theater Square. Source: New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

One Theater Square, in Newark, New Jersey. In 2011, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Founding CEO Lawrence P. Goldman partnered with Philadelphia-based developer Dranoff Properties to build a 1.2 acre, 21-floor mixed-use residential building adjacent to NJPAC, on land formerly controlled by NJPAC. In exchange for its land contribution to the project (which brought Newark its first new upmarket apartment tower in a half century), NJPAC received endowment funding for its cultural programs.

Bushnell Performing Arts Center may follow a similar model to maximize returns to endow its non-profit mission by first acquiring and then capitalizing upon through sale, the undervalued parking lots to its east.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 72

HARTFORD UNION STATION AREA SITE PLAN The blocks immediately east and southeast of the Bushnell Performing Arts Center are today a bleak expanse of surface parking lots. A new underground station

should be located in proximity to the existing Hartford Union Station and its current and future commuter rail and CTfastrak bus rapid transit terminals. The new high-speed rail station in Hartford will likely consist of an underground platform and waiting area, pedestrian access to the existing Hartford

Union Station building, and multiple points of escalator entrance/egress. The blocks immediately surrounding the new high-speed rail station will undoubtedly become some of the most desirable in the city. As such, the Studio proposes that land in this district be assembled for future

Figure 24. A hypothetical site plan for the redevelopment of the area around Hartford Union Station. In the spirit of Hartfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form-based code, the uses represented here are meant to illustrate the mix and variety of uses that may characterize the newly created mini-community but are by no means prescriptive. Source: The Studio.

73 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE

development, with incentives for smallcap developers and self-builders to build out the area in a fine-grained, incremental way. Figure 24 illustrates some potential uses for the blocks near Hartford Union Square. Similar to the Bushnell performing Arts Center area site plan, the mix of uses represented are merely suggestions as complementary activities that may coexist in a thriving, revitalized urban district.

Figure 26 depicts the functional elements of the new high-speed rail concourse that will integrate underground with the existing Hartford Union Station building.

ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT AT STORRS Unlike some other states where the state capital and the major state research university are co-located — in places like Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Lansing, Michigan; and Madison, Wisconsin (as shown in Figure 25) — the University of Connecticut’s flagship campus at Storrs is currently about a half hour drive from the capital and is not accessible by rail transport.

Improving the linkage between Hartford and the Storrs campus could strengthen both, providing Hartford employers with young talent and recent college graduates with an affordable, manageable city in which to launch their careers.

Figure 25. The University of Wisconsin flagship campus in Madison. Madison is also the site of the Wisconsin State Capitol and numerous state agencies, and a thriving manufacturing, research, professional services economy in its own right. Source: Jeff Miller.

in about 15 minutes. This expedited travel time functions to effectively fuse the two locations (Downtown Hartford and UConn’s Storrs campus) into one, sharing talent, knowledge, resources, and commercial and residential space.

Once the high-speed rail link between Hartford and Providence is operable, an eastbound passenger leaving Hartford Union Station could expect to be in Storrs NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 74

Figure 26. A diagram of the functional elements of a new high-speed rail station in downtown Hartford. Potential new development sites are shown in yellow.

Source: The Studio.

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NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | SECTION TITLE 76

Exalting Ecology Supporting local economies cannot be done without protecting the regional ecology. This poses a design challenge: for high-speed rail to work for Connecticut and Rhode Island, it cannot just work for the cities and towns where the trains stop. High-speed rail must work for the landscape it travels through.

This chapter explores just how it can do that.

BUILDING WITH THE LAST GREEN VALLEY IN MIND The proposed route between Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island poses a planning and design challenge as it runs through the Last Green Valley. This area was designated as a national heritage area by the National Park Service and the United States Congress. This designation recognizes that it is a place where “natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.” While national heritage areas are recognized by the National Park Service, they are distinct from national parks in a major way: the land inside them is largely Figure 1. The Peak District National Park lies at the southern end of the Pennine Hills and between the privately owned. Indeed, people — and cities of Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Source: Taken by the Studio. entire towns - live inside them. This likens THE PEAK DISTRICT proposed new Northern Powerhouse route national heritage areas to Britain’s National will run through the park. Alternatives are The studio has looked internationally for being carefully considered, with existing Parks, such as the Peak District (see Figure examples of well managed rural landscapes and historic rights of ways being assessed 1). As these are nationally significant areas with rail lines planned to run through them. to minimize the amount of new right-ofof natural and historic importance, siting a In February 2019 the studio visited the way that will need to be acquired. While rail alignment through the Last Green Valley Peak District, England’s oldest National connecting Liverpool, Manchester, and warrants great care. It challenges planners Park, and discussed with Park officials Leeds will create essential economic to go beyond mitigating the impacts of how proposed rail and road links through benefits for these cities and the North of constructing a rail line. It asks planners the Park could be sited. The Peak District England region, the British government to consider how an alignment could be is similar to the Last Green Valley in that recognizes that this rail project must be designed as a platform that supports the people live inside and own private land designed with sensitivity to the landscape. rural economy and natural character of the inside it. Its similarities do not stop there. This project could become a precedent for Last Green Valley. The national heritage It has historic rail lines running through the approach needed to site a high-speed area designation signifies that the Last it that now serve as recreational paths for rail line through the Last Green Valley.

Green Valley should be preserved as a place visitors and nearby residents. Finally, the with open, working landscapes even as it 79 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | BUILDING WITH THE LAST GREEN VALLEY IN MIND

supports the development of the towns and people who choose to live within it.

renewal and conservation purposes in the communities along the rail line. The main emphasis of the funds will be to encourage centralized development patterns in order to prevent sprawl and continue to protect the areas’ woodlands, farmlands, and wild spaces. Administering the fund as an endowment would create an ongoing source of conservation funding specific to eastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island.

Projections of sea-level rise place protions of the existing coastal route in jeopardy.

By building a rail right-of-way that is well The rail line can support and enhance the removed from the coast, the northeast landscape it will traverse in multiple ways: rail network will be positioned to adapt to sea-level rise. In addition, the land that 1. by supporting the rural economy and the coastal route is sited on could be set development patterns of the Last Green aside to “make room for the coastline.” A Valley. high-speed rail alignment will also give 2. by enabling the region to better adapt people the option to take the train instead to and mitigate climate change. of using more carbon-intensive forms of This fund could be administered by a transportation such as driving and flying.

3. through strategic mitigation and federally authorized commission—similar Finally, the rail alignment will allow more contextual design of the rail alignment. to the Blackstone Valley National Heritage centralized growth and development Corridor Commission—that would work patterns which will do two things; enable the SUPPORTING THE LAST closely with state-level agencies, the regional creation of a built environment conducive to council of governments, The Last Green less carbon-intensive local transportation GREEN VALLEY Valley inc., and local land trusts to set the patterns thus reducing the development vision and priorities for the fund. pressure on open space allowing forests and farmland to sequester carbon.

The studio proposes that a small WORKING WITH CLIMATE portion of project costs be dedicated to creating an endowment fund for economic CHANGE

BLACKSTONE HERITAGE CORRIDOR

created a forum for collaboration between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, a score of municipalities, historic and The Blackstone Valley was designated environmental organizations, businesses, as a National Heritage Corridor in 1986 and private citizens. While the commission making it a unit of the National Park was converted into a non-profit in 2011 System (see Figure 2). The Blackstone it created a strong foundation for the Corridor sets an example for multi- corridor’s long-term success. jurisdictional management at a landscape scale. It gained much of its success through the establishment of a National Heritage Corridor Commission that was Figure 2. The Blackstone River National enacted by Congress. This commission Heritage Corridor. Source: Karl Musser.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | SUPPORTING THE LAST GREEN VALLEY 80

CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS The high-speed rail line will bring economic development to the Last Green Valley, including tourism, new development, and access to a greater number of jobs that are not available within the current commuting distance. But, how can the Last Green Valley grow in a way that supports its rural character? The three villages in and adjoining the Last Green Valley with proposed station locations -Willimantic, Storrs, and Dayville- do not want to become densely urbanized as evidenced in their town plans for conservation and development. Figure 3. A typical landscape in the Last Green Valley with agriculture, forests, and river. Source: G. Leslie Willimantic and the cluster of villages Sweetnam, Last Green Valley, inc. around Dayville (Putnam and Danielson) by increased siltation while springs began REGIONAL ECOLOGY could all benefit from strengthening of their to dry up due to faster, high-volume runoff downtowns. In addition, Storrs could benefit The state of Connecticut lies within an decreasing infiltration. Despite these from additional housing and retail in its new ecological region highly conducive to ecological impacts, Connecticut would village center. Plans could be developed by supporting the growth of forests. Much continue to be predominantly farmed until each of these villages and their surrounding of Connecticut’s forests were cleared for the state lost its economic competitiveness towns that would direct growth into agricultural purposes in the 18th and 19th with farms in the Ohio Valley and midrevitalized village centers and conserve large centuries. According to the U.S. Forest western states in the early 19th century. areas of countryside. For example, Stamford, Service, where at the time of European Additionally, by the early 20th century Connecticut has centralized around its rail settlement Connecticut was nearly “much of the farmland became exhausted station and in former industrial areas. In so covered in forests, by 1820 the state was and unsuitable for continuous agricultural doing, Stamford has been able to harness only 25% forested. Most of this land was crops and was soon abandoned.” The the real estate markets to meet housing and converted to farms supplying food and forest began to grow back but went commercial development needs while taking wool. As Connecticut’s forests disappeared through successive cycles of being cut pressure off its suburban and rural districts “soil erosion from farms increased” and down. Today, forestland is primarily north of the Merritt Parkway.

Connecticut’s waterways were impacted threatened by suburban growth patterns.

81 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS

The conservation of farms, woodlands and wildlands is the foundation of enabling rural villages to be able to develop economically without having to sacrifice themselves to growth (Figure 3). This has been seen in the rapid suburbanization that took place in Connecticut which has been converting open space to development since the 1940s.

Furthermore, trends of suburbanization in Connecticut are still prevalent. The Hartford Courant reports that the “Hartford metro area — which includes Hartford, Tolland, and Middlesex counties — had the country’s 10th-largest population loss from July 2014 to July 2015, according to U.S. Census data.”

They go on to note that most of the people leaving the Hartford metro area are going to nearby suburbs.

Figure 4. Parcel sizes in the Last Green Valley.

Large parcels are of especial concern because once they get subdivided for development they are harder to protect. Source: The studio. Conserved land layer from the Highstead Foundation, Harvard Forest.

uses, surplus residential land that exceeds a five-acre-per-lot threshold.” This means this land has not been subdivided to its minimum allowed acreage by right. This land is highly vulnerable to development and, as in the Last Green Valley, is likely zoned at 5-acre lot minimums and mostly forested.

When funding for a high-speed rail line is committed, it tends to spark a frenzy of speculation by developers seeking to capitalize on anticipated increased land values. This could pose a particular threat to much of New England, including Connecticut because of its devolved government structure into geographically small towns. Where most of the U.S. has strong county governments with planning and zoning powers, three New England states Low density development has made — Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Connecticut’s landscape progressively more Island have eliminated county government fragmented with each passing decade since (except on Cape Cod and the Islands in World War II. A rough analysis of the Last Massachusetts) and the three northern New Green Valley’s parcels reveals that there are England states use county governments 1,680 that are above 50 acres composing primarily to manage courts and jails. This approximately 2% of its parcels and 30% of devolved government structure makes these its land area (see Figure 4). Preventing the states’ towns particularly vulnerable to further subdivision of these parcels is one development as compared to the rest of the of the major challenges of conservation in United States. Because of this devolution of the Last Green Valley. Once a parcel gets land use controls to the municipal level in subdivided below 50 acres it becomes more Connecticut, many small towns have limited difficult to make the case for conservation, resources to manage development by since property values per acre become creating and administering plans and land higher. According to the Southeastern use regulations. Essentially, this means that Connecticut Council of Governments, as the towns can determine the way they grow, of 2016, 42% of their service area’s land is but are challenged by the scale of resources undeveloped, meaning that the land is either that they have to work with. Towns often can vacant or “for very-low-density residential not afford to have a town planner on their NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS 82

payroll and may work out an agreement to share a planner across multiple townships.

Without a solid planning foundation, a town can find itself on shaky legal territory when trying to enforce zoning regulations with developers. Furthermore, many small towns in Connecticut have adopted zoning ordinances that allow one to five-acre residential development by right.

The development pattern that results from this zoning consumes land faster than any other zoning scheme. In Figure 5, 1- to 5-acre minimum lot sizes produces suburban development akin to what is shown in T3.

This is sprawling suburban developmentnot what the towns and villages in the Last Green Valley have said they want more of.

To produce development like T2, 20-acre minimum lot sizes are required, and for T1, 50-acre minimum lot sizes. Towns that have adopted right-to-farm ordinances could consider backing up their farmers a step further by instituting 50-acre lot minimums in the areas towns deem essential to their agricultural sector.

Figure 5. Possible development scenarios ranging from open space to heavy urbanization. Source: Andres Duany.

health of forests because they perforate the forest canopy. 20-plus acre minimum lot sizes would be an improvement because instead of forest having a perforation every five acres in its canopy, it would only have the potential to have a perforation every 20 acres.

In addition to changing zoning regulations in the Last Green Valley, a highspeed rail line can only help prevent further Several studies have shown that 20- subdivision if it is accompanied by a strong plus acre minimum lot sizes slow the rate at land conservation and growth management which land is subdivided and developed. In plan. The creation of the previously a place that wishes to develop in a pattern mentioned endowment fund is intended to conducive to remaining rural, this is positive. boost the conservation activity that can take Then, farmers can farm with less fear that place in the Last Green Valley; ensuring that encroaching suburban residents will file this exceptional region can be enjoyed for nuisance lawsuits. Farmers also need a the same reasons it is today for generations minimum threshold of the active farming to come. community to stay viable. Additionally, 1 However, siting a rail line still offers to 5-acre minimum lot sizes undercut the a major advantage over continuing with 83 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS

MANCHESTER AND LEEDS Once funding for Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HS2 high-speed rail line was committed land development began in northern cities based on speculation that land would become more valuable as these places would be connected to the highspeed rail network. This became a self-fulfilling prophecy as land values and economic production have gone up in Leeds and Manchester while the HS2 itself has not been built yet. It is anticipated that similar pressures will develop in New England cities gaining high-speed rail service.

promoting sprawl. When a station is built in an attractive, vibrant village setting people want to live near the station to have better access to it, and consequently, development tends to take place around the station.

This development can be incentivized to create a pleasing, village-scale aesthetic that would set Storrs, Willimantic, Dayville, or Greenville apart from many other places in rural New England. These and other villages could aim for creating a level of development akin to “T4” in the transect illustration in Figure 5. The more that T4 is encouraged to be developed in villages in the Last Green Valley, the less than the T3 Suburban pattern of development will be needed. As a result, there will be less pressure on converting the T2 Rural Zone and T1 Natural Zone into something that ends up being more of the T3 suburban zone. The level of development shown in T5 and T6 would be reserved for places such as Hartford, Connecticut.

Harvard Forest has created a model as a part of the “New England Landscape Futures” project showing how the region could grow if it adopted different economic and resource use policies. It does this by Figure 6. Four population growth scenarios for New England as developed by the Harvard Forest. Source: creating four alternative future growth Harvard Forest. scenarios for New England that differ along development patterns that are induced and open land from development pressure two axes: local to global socio-economic by building roads. Especially when because more housing can be provided in a connectedness and low to high natural paired with the conservation and zoning central location, rather than sprawled across resource planning and innovation (see strategies outlined here a rail line would the countryside. When a road is built, or Figure 6). The ‘Connected Communities’ promote more centralized development roads are the only option for transportation, scenario lays out a development scenario patterns. Rail stations act as focal points development is incentivized to occur in that would be highly supportive of sustaining for development. This helps relieve rural decentralized patterns along those roads the rural character of the Last Green Valley NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS 84

(see Figure 8). Indeed, the resurgence of agriculture in Connecticut has been directly related to people’s desire to eat fresh, locally grown food. Under this scenario, development is centralized (referred to as ‘smart growth’ in the graphic) and more land is conserved than in any other scenario.

A rail line connecting New York City to Boston is a piece of infrastructure that would supercharge the economy of the northeastern megaregion because of the benefits gained from the integrated housing and labor markets discussed in the Regional chapter of this report. Combined with a thoughtful conservation strategy that supports the region’s agricultural sector the rail line would become an infrastructure project that serves the local needs of the northeast. A rail line that merely connects New York City to Boston, two globally connected hubs of labor, without supporting Hartford, Storrs, Willimantic, Dayville, Greenville, and Providence would produce outcomes illustrated by the Yankee Cosmopolitan scenario (Figure 9). Smart growth strategies in these places would fail because the infrastructure underpinning it would not be designed to serve the needs of local communities. However, if the rail line is not pursued the default option left is the rapid, sprawling development outlined in the Growing Global scenario (Figure 10).

This will promote the suburban development sprawl that will continue to eat up the countryside reducing the Last Green Valley’s capacity to sustain rural communities and their agricultural economy.

Figure 7. Recent Trends (2010)

Figure 8. Connected Communities

Figure 9. Yankee Cosmopolitan

Figure 10. Growing Global

Current development patterns, as of 2010, with three possible scenarios as described in the New England Landscape Futures developed by Harvard Forest. Darker red indicates denser development, darker green indicates conserved forest, light green unconserved forest, and yellow farmland. Source: Harvard Forest.

The high-speed rail line would create a platform for centralized development patterns that can support the economy of the Last Green Valley while it addresses the existential threat of climate change. It does this by supporting compact development which relieves development pressure on rural areas allowing farms and forests to thrive.

85 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS

A scenario with no rail line will perpetuate “business-as-usual”, which allows for sprawling low-density development that rapidly consumes land that could otherwise be used for farms and forests.

foresters can manage forests to produce lumber. Forests are typically thought of as the only form of land use that large volumes of carbon sequestration can occur naturally through. This is incorrect. According to Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Centralized development leaves more Warming, written by a broad coalition of open land available to sequester carbon researchers, scientists, graduate students, in protected woodlands as compared to PhDs, post-docs, policy makers, business sprawling development (Figure 11). It leaders, and activists, carbon sequestration also gives people the ability to choose less has great potential in other forms of land carbon-intensive forms of transportation. By use than just forests. The tons of greenhouse providing rail as an option for transportation gasses removed from, or prevented being people can choose to travel between Boston and New York City, and the stops in between, using this less carbon-intensive mode of transportation as opposed to driving or flying. Note that the most carbon savings can come from a high-speed rail line that is built to utilize electricity generated from renewable energy. In addition by taking cars off the road, local traffic congestion can be reduced, thus limiting greenhouse gas emissions from slowed and idling traffic.

REDUCING ATMOSPHERIC GREENHOUSE GASES

Implementing improved land use and food production techniques has the potential to sequester gigatons of greenhouse gases with worldwide benefits.

Connecticut and Rhode Island can be a part of this sequestration effort by keeping their open-lands undeveloped, and by supporting the economic sectors that their working-lands form the base of. Workinglands are open space that humans manage for economic production. For example, farmers manage land to produce crops, and

emittedinto the atmosphere listed represent the global potential that each practice has to mitigate the unfolding of climate change.

Connecticut and Rhode Island can do their part and participate in each of these strategies while bolstering their agriculture and forestry sectors. Each of these practices has cultural and policy issues that will have to be worked through to be implemented successfully. However, making these shifts is something Connecticut and Rhode Island could be well equipped for because of the local scale of each town. As demand for locally grown foods has increased,

Figure 11. A farm in the Last Green Valley. Farms can play a powerful role in reducing greenhouse gases.

Source: visitnewengland.com NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | REDUCING ATMOSPHERIC GREENHOUSE GASES 86

so has Connecticut’s agricultural sector begun to flourish once again. The practices recommended here so too will rely on local Temperate Agriculture Regenerative Tree Coastal Wetlands Forest Protection Silvopasture demand for the products grown on workingForests Conservation Agriculture Intercropping Gigatons of lands for them to be successful. Connecticut’s 31.19 17.2 17.35 22.61 6.2 3.19 23.15 CO2 Reduced and Rhode Island’s townships could thrive as they intentionally build on and cultivate Table 1. Land use and carbon sequestration. Source: drawdown.org these local markets. This also falls in line as maple syrup, mushrooms, nuts, fruit LAND USE AND CARBON with the “Connected Communities” model and timber this is a financially resilient of growth that will best compliment the SEQUESTRATION practice over the long run. construction of a high-speed rail line. It is up to Connecticut’s and Rhode Island’s Regenerative agriculture is a citizens to realize their preferred vision for To give the reader a sense of the practice of “continually improv[ing] and the future. greenhouse gas reducing practices being regenerat[ing] the health of the soil by recommended, the top three practices restoring its carbon content, which in It should also be noted that working with a potential for reducing atmospheric turn improves plant health, nutrition, lands managed with soil conservation greenhouse gases in Connecticut and productivity.” practices improve infiltration of water. and Rhode Island have been briefly Additionally, the more forested areas the Temperate forests are second summarized here (Table 1). The curious greater the capacity of the land to absorb reader is encouraged to learn more on the to tropical forests in their capacity to water. This helps reduces the risk of flooding sequester carbon. Caring for Connecticut’s drawdown.org website. and contributes to a healthy water cycle for a temperate forests is important to region. Meanwhile, puncturing a forest with Silvopasture is a practice where improving the capacity of New England’s housing, increasing impervious surface in a cattle graze amidst forested land. Because temperate forests to sequester carbon. watershed increase the volume and velocity a landowner can create multiple streams of runoff making flood risk higher. This of income on their property that generate connects to the subsequent section. income on different time horizons through

Land Use and Carbon Sequestration

the sale of cattle and forest products such

87 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | REDUCING ATMOSPHERIC GREENHOUSE GASES

ANTICIPATING INCREASED FLOOD RISK

address flooding along the Connecticut River and rivers in the Last Green Valley comes in two parts. One is a physical technique where the elevation is raised around the river as illustrated in Figure 13. This hill-like barrier will obstruct the river, preventing water from spreading into the city.

As global temperatures continue to increase, weather becomes more extreme, and the sea rises and humans move inland, However, if the water continues to rise, a so will wetlands be looking for a new home. physical barrier alone will not be enough to The benefits of planning to create room prevent severe flood events. The second part for the coast are numerous as wetlands of this strategy is a three-tiered living flood are critical to carbon sequestration, buffering development from flooding, filtering pollutants, and providing critical habitat for endangered species. If the DYNAMIC FIELDS northeast corridor is moved to one of the recommended alternative routes the current route’s footprint could be reserved for the Flooding Buffer inland movement of wetlands.

buffer designed to become inundated with water. The lowest tier will be landscaped with natural vegetation. The mid-level tier will be open space for cities, villages, and towns to plan for and create programming for sports and recreation around. Sewage pipes can also be designed to flow out. The highest tier is part of the city landscape with pedestrian and bike paths and planted trees.

It can be very wide or narrow depending on what each municipality can feasibly set aside.

DYNAMIC FIELDS

Cycle / Canoe

Tennis / Baseball

Soccer

Sport

Similarly, to protect cities and villages from rising sea levels “room for the river” Park Open Green Space Storage Zone Shallow Dredging Zone Development Zone must be created. As sea level rises and Raise Ground Floor Park rainfall intensity increases up-river flooding will also become more frequent and severe.

Moving I-91, as suggested in the “Economic Revitalization of Hartford, Connecticut” chapter would mitigate the impact of Wet-land Plants Shrubs Pedestrian Plants Marsh Wet Soils Dry Soils flooding on the I-91 traffic. However, it will Low Water Ecosystem not solve the potential risk to urban life and the economy of Hartford. The studio has put together a design specifically with the Hartford riverfront in mind. In addition, strategies for addressing tidal and riverine Shallow Marshes Wet Soils Wetland Crop Wheat / Soybeans Animal Husbandry flooding are outlined in Figure 12 that can High Water Agriculture be applied to riparian corridors throughout Connecticut. The proposed strategy to Figure 12. The three-tiered system for mitigating the impacts of river flooding. Source: The Studio.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | ANTICIPATING INCREASED FLOOD RISK 88

Figure 13. A rendering of flood mitigation landscaping that could be adopted on the Connecticut riverfront if Interstate 91 is shifted away from the river. Source: The Studio.

This topography is designed to act as a landscape. It will enrich the experiences of people in Connecticut, provide healthy recreational activities for people to enjoy, all while creating a better relationship between the urban and natural interface of Hartford and the river. In addition, riverfront amenities are economically attractive. Top firms in the nation choose to locate their headquarters in cities that have accessible and well maintained natural amenities because that is where talent wants to live and work.

Currently, Hartford cannot easily access the Connecticut River and the river is not particularly inviting. With this intervention, there will be a walkway, parks, recreation, and natural vegetation for people to enjoy with greater access to the river after I-91 is moved. This intervention will also improve

the ecological health of the river because the river will have less impervious surfaces adjacent to it helping restore a hydrological regime that water flows through more slowly and in less volume. This will slow erosion, helping restore the soils of the river which in turn will support riparian plant species, then supporting small animals and aquatic life which will make the ecosystem of the river stronger. A healthy river is a river that people enjoy spending their time around creating an urban environment that people will be attracted to and want to stay in.

When flooded, the buffer will look like shallow marsh and wetlands. When the water is low, dryland will appear that can be used for recreation and sports activities.

In this way, the waterfront area will become

89 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | ANTICIPATING INCREASED FLOOD RISK

a city park, attracting people to relax, and play sports while solving potential flood problems in a sustainable manner. in areas in the Last Green Valley that have trouble with flooding, this two-part strategy can be employed. In addition, the endowment fund could provide matching funding for implementing such projects.

Figure 14. Areas in Connecticut and Rhode Island that not managed well could increase flood risk that should be targeted for conservation and flood mitigation. Source: Modelmywatershed.org

FLOOD RISK IN CONNECTICUT Flood risk in Connecticut is expected to increase as extreme weather events increase in frequency, rainfall intensity increases, and sea level rises. The areas in blue on the map show “active river areas” (see Figure 14). These areas are identified using five key subcomponents: material contribution zones, meander belts, riparian wetlands, floodplains, and terraces. These are the areas that should be targeted for conservation, flood mitigation strategies, and flood walls to contain water. Go to modelmywatershed.org to explore your watershed in more detail and create maps just like this one. This highly accessible tool can be used to create effective, targeted conservation plans to improve water quality and work with the water cycle to reduce risk associated with flooding.

Figure 15. As observed in Figure 14 Rhode Island has a lot of land at high risk to sea level rise. With such high risk to flooding from hurricanes and sea level rise Providence, Rhode Island built a 700 foot long hurricane barrier. This 25 foot high concrete wall protects 280 acres of Providence’s downtown from hurricane surges.

Two ten to fifteen foot high dikes flank the wall with the eastern dike spanning 780 feet while the western dike spans 1400 feet. While putting the infrastructure in was costly, the damages that would be incurred from flooding without the wall would be greater. Grey infrastructure strategies such as this for managing water should be considered carefully and be designed to work in conjunction with blue and green infrastructure strategies. Source: The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | ANTICIPATING INCREASED FLOOD RISK 90

DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY Finally, while the rail line will create valuable connections between its stations, it bifurcates the landscape that it travels through cutting off access to human and non-human animals alike to the other side of the rail line. However, measures can be taken to ameliorate the obstructive qualities of a rail line. France set the example for building animal crossings starting in the 1950s. Now, transportation agencies in different parts of the world are beginning to take animal crossings more seriously because of the associated costs for rail and car collisions. When animal crossings were put in place in Banff it cut costs due to crashes with wildlife by 90%, worth over $100,000.

This problem is no stranger to Connecticut, approximately 4,122 deer were killed in 2017 due to vehicle collisions in the state.

In addition, dear strikes caused a fatality in both 2016 and 2017. Animal collisions don’t just create costs for roadways, rail is affected as well. Network Rail reported that “In 2012-2013, the associated cost of animals on rail tracks in the UK was around £4.9m.”

Planning to build wildlife crossings early in the rail design process is less expensive than retrofitting animal crossings later. In addition, these crossings will create savings in time and money making it well worth planning for wildlife crossings now.

There will be approximately 40 nongrade crossings along either of the proposed alignments. These crossings could be augmented as wildlife underpasses.

Underpasses favor certain kinds of wildlife, especially wetland species. In addition, smaller species prefer more enclosed, forested areas while larger species like deer prefer the feeling of open fields.

Certain animals also show preferences for overpasses versus underpasses making both essential to maintaining the health of the ecosystem in an area.

For designing animal crossings, the studio chose to adapt the structure of the design to the needs and preferences of a variety of animal species native to Connecticut. As a result, the design is adaptable to different preferences informed by research on 30 key animals to the region’s ecology. (View the preferences of each animal in Figure 19). The crossing is designed with six distinct paths that have different elevations, widths, and vegetation types (Figure 16 and Figure 21). This is meant to attract a variety of species to use the animal crossing.

Each path will be planted with different vegetation designed to attract a certain subset of wildlife species (Figure 20). By planting vegetation small animals lower on the food chain are attracted to, large animals higher on the food chain should also be attracted to the bridge. Once an animal chooses to walk down a certain path it will not easily be able to get onto a different path across the bridge. The intention, here, is to attract all animals to use the bridge while

91 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY

the separate paths could minimize conflict between animals. Matching the colored dots in Figure 19 with the pathway colors in Figure 17 outlines the planned design for each pathway across the bridge. In addition, snakes will be accommodated for by intentionally designing for them to travel over the steel pipes that form the skeleton of the structure. The entire structure will be vegetated reducing the perception of the physical break created by the rail line.

The structure of the bridge consists of three layers: a steel skeleton, a laminated wood-core fiberglass composite, and a woodcore fiberglass composite screen assembly.

These materials were chosen to reduce the weight and necessary footprint of the structure while still providing a long-lasting useful life for each bridge (Figure 18). The bridge is engineered for practical factors for crossing including slope and drainage.

In addition, the unit is designed so it can be pre-assembled and vegetated before its final construction at the crossing site. This will reduce costs and allow the unit to be integrated seamlessly into the landscape. All of these elements were considered to create an inviting bridge that the animals would be attracted to.

Figure 16. A wildlife crossing that could help to reconnect bifurcated landscapes.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY 92

Figure 17. A view of the wildlife crossing from above. The paths of the various types of wildlife are shown.

93 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 4 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY

Figure 18. The layers of the wildlife crossing.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY 94

Figure 19. The plant and animal species native to the region. The colored circle next to the species name corresponds to the path the species will use as it traverses the wildlife crossing.

95 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY 96

Figure 20. The pathway vegetation species native to the region. The colored bars next to the species name corresponds to the path the species will use as it traverses the wildlife crossing.

97 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY

Figure 21. A section view of the wildlife crossing showing a train passing under.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 5 | DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY 98

Looking Ahead Breathing new economic life into New England’s left-behind cities, underpinned by a high-speed rail project that is reverent of the region’s delicate ecology, will be a monumental, multidisciplinary undertaking. Implementing the Studio’s recommendations will require careful consideration of the timing and sequencing of the proposed interventions, as well as more indepth exploration of the ideas discussed here and their related concepts.

Providence, none of the recommendations made here are intended to supersede or downplay the importance of other major improvements planned for other parts of Replacing the Northeast Corridor as the corridor. The phasing plan centers on it exists today and rerouting it through Hartford since it is still in an economically Hartford will be a multi-phase process depressed condition with no foreseeable with many milestones along the way. Thus, end. The plan suggests starting in Hartford a phasing plan is critical to ensure the because the immediate economic benefit of project is divided into digestible pieces that connecting Hartford to Storrs is greater than can be implemented in a way to provide the Providence to Danielson connection. incremental benefit as the larger whole is under construction. It is imperative that Phase 0: Laying the Foundations corners are not cut during the construction History has shown that without a strong of any the phases of this project that coalition of national and local politicians, compromise the high-speed capability of the major infrastructure projects are difficult, if track. Just because the lines will start with not impossible, to deliver. Tunnels between commuter service, there is a much greater New York City and New Jersey that are far destiny in store for them; the necessity to past their designed lifespans continue to retrofit the lines will likely result in overall struggle to serve a growing number of people project failure. every day, with no relief in sight. Transport The current alignment of the Northeast for New England would be a bold new Corridor follows a path that is both not regional entity created for the sole purpose conducive to modern high-speed rail and of advocating for improved transportation susceptible to sea-level rise as climate infrastructure in New York, Connecticut, change occurs over this century. Updating Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. By this critical piece of infrastructure is running with the ideas presented in this mandatory if the United States expects to studio, such a coalition could work to align continue to be a global economic leader. economic interests with political realities This monumental undertaking will need to start putting money into this project. to be broken into pieces with each piece Furthermore, Transport for New England delivering its own economic benefit until would work at the local level as well to the whole line can be pieced together into a ensure that the proper community outreach new high-speed rail corridor. Although this is performed, farmland and open spaces studio and, by extension, this phasing plan are conserved, and the rail right-of-way is is focused on New England, and specifically reserved for the future. the track alignment between Hartford and

PHASING

101 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | PHASING

Before the details of the Hartford to Providence high-speed rail segment are announced or any other aspect of the program are pursued, the City of Hartford and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) should aggressively pursue the public acquisition of derelict land and underutilized parcels (especially surface parking) around Hartford Union Station, Capitol Avenue, the Bushnell Performing Arts Center, and other key downtown locations. The preemptive public acquisition is critical to avoiding excessive acquisition payouts to holdouts and speculators that may emerge once the comprehensive redevelopment strategies become public knowledge. In addition, land trusts, conservation organizations, and government should work to conserve as much land as possible outside a twomile radius around the proposed station locations. Parcels that should be targeted for this preliminary conservation effort are outlined in the Mitigation of Environmental Land Impacts section of the Rail Alignment chapter. This will be essential to creating the centralized development patterns discussed in the Exalting Ecology chapter. After legislation funding the rail line is passed the region should work with the endowment funds to strategically conserve land.

Although the Hartford to Providence line will complete an important link, it is essential that before its construction begins, other previously-identified early-action projects be completed. These projects include the New Haven Line; Kingston,

Rhode Island to Boston, Massachusetts rail improvements; rail service from Springfield, Massachusetts to Worchester, Massachusetts; and improvements to the MBTA commuter network around Boston.

Although these projects do not have any direct bearing on the proposed high-speed rail network between New York City and Boston, they provide ancillary service that will make the major investment more valuable. These links, which have been identified as critical by the states of Southern New England, must be completed first to ensure the success of the bigger high-speed rail investment. While these other projects are being completed, engineering work, as well as right-of-way acquisition for the Hartford-Providence line, should begin.

Phase 1: Hartford Line Upgrade Already running service with 16 round trips per day, the Hartford line is important to the overall Northeast Corridor strategy.

This service should be prioritized and expanded in the coming years. North of Hartford, the line should be fully doubletracked, electrified, and upgraded to prepare for higher-speed rail service, about 120 mph. South of Hartford, the line will be shared with Northeast Regional highspeed trains and will, therefore, need to meet specifications that allow operations at up to 220 mph. Changes will be made to the alignment within Hartford and configuration of Hartford Union Station to accommodate the two train lines that will meet there: the Northeast Corridor and the Hartford Line.

By necessity, the Hartford Line will need to be tunneled to accommodate both the Northeast Corridorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed requirements and to make way for the I-84 highway project. Should the Hartford Line be funded before the Northeast Corridor part of the project, additional space should be made in the tunnels to create room for another underground platform.

Hartford Union Station is a beautiful historic building situated just steps away from the majestic Connecticut State Capitol.

Although the station has its charm, in its current configuration, it is unable to serve as a junction between two rail lines. Since the Asylum Avenue overpass leading into the station from the south is aging poorly and retrofitting the station to be able to handle the desired service in its current configuration would likely ruin its exterior appearance, the studio proposes tunneling the train lines and using the existing station as a headhouse.

By moving the Hartford Line platform underground, the area surrounding the station will become a more pleasant place to live and increased service along the line can help it densify. This move will also set the stage for a high-speed rail project that will need to also use a tunnel to access Hartford Union Station. By putting all the train lines underground, capacity at the station can be expanded, noise levels around the station will decrease, and transfers between platforms will be easier for passengers.

This leaves the question of the viaduct and overpass structure. The viaduct, which is a historic structure, provides a useful barrier between the peaceful Bushnell Park and the I-84 highway off-ramp on the other side. Therefore, the studio recommends that the viaduct stay but suggest that may be repurposed into an alternative walkway to Hartford Union Station. This repurposing would allow for the existing overpass to be replaced by something smaller and more visually appealing than the degraded metal hunk that spans Asylum Avenue today. This walkway could provide the station with another entrance and allow for creative reuse of the platform space - perhaps a beer garden that would attract locals and out-oftowners of all ages.

Phase 2: Hartford-Storrs and Willimantic Line As part of the overall strategy behind the studio, Hartford needs to become better connected to the resources around it. Creating a spur off of the Hartford Line to Storrs, Connecticut (or Willimantic, Connecticut, should that be deemed to be the preferred alignment) would create an immediate bond between the capital city and the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier public university.

Two stations will be constructed during this phase, one at Manchester, Connecticut and the second at Storrs, Connecticut, servicing the University of Connecticut. The Manchester station is only planned to be at-grade and serve only commuter trains, so it need not be built to the same scale

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | PHASING 102

as stations with a bigger passenger load in mind. The station at Storrs will be built with headhouses on the university campus and adjacent to the main road to make it as accessible as possible to both students and Willimantic residents. Although the station will start off with only commuter service, since it is in a tunnel, it should be constructed with the intent of handling the full passenger capacity of a high-speed Northeast Regional train to avoid retrofitting costs later.

Asylum Hill.

Should the timing of the highway project coincide with money to build a high-speed line, ConnDOT would be wise to consider the option of putting both the train and the highway in tunnels that run under the city and resurface in East Hartford. Since the high-speed line must be tunneled under the city to minimize disruption to the city’s residents and ensure it can keep the straightest path possible, ConnDOT Although not directly tied to the high- would have the opportunity to save costs speed rail plan, the I-84 Hartford project by using the same tunneling machine to is a critical piece of the puzzle. Built in the do both the train and the highway. Should 1960s as a road to connect directly through the I-84 project come to fruition first, Hartford, I-84 instead stands today as a accommodations must be made that allow knife through the city’s heart. The I-84 for the Hartford Line to be straightened project will attempt to undo some of the and for a future tunnel that would allow a damage taking the highway off its viaduct high-speed train line to run under Hartford and putting it into a trench so the street Union Station. grid can be reconnected above it. Although Burying I-84 or tunneling beneath this aspirational plan is not directly related to high-speed rail, it does have elements Hartford will require that the Park River that affect the Northeast Corridor project. duct be revisited and in all likelihood The Hartford Line currently sits below the rerouted. The Park River, notorious for its elevated highway, so any movement of the frequent flooding, was buried in a series highway will, by necessity, have to include of culverts constructed beneath the city a new alignment. This is an opportunity to between 1940 and 1980. The only visible straighten the line to make it more acceptable reminder of this river’s former route is the for high-speed trains. Once the highway is Lily Pond in Bushnell Park; the rest of the sunk, an abundance of land, currently being riverbed has been converted into highways. used for surface parking, will suddenly While it will be an additional expense, there be exceptionally well-located real estate, is little reason to let such an opportunity go especially for transit-oriented development. to waste when plenty of other cities have These parcels will be located at the epicenter revisited this type of infrastructure and of Hartford’s transit connections and a created vibrant districts around reclaimed walkable distance to the insurance district, rivers.

103 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | PHASING

Phase 3: Storrs/WillimanticDanielson Connection Once the Storrs/Willimantic segment is complete, the next phase will be to connect the commuter service through to Danielson, Connecticut. This connection provides a critical link from the Last Green Valley to Hartford, which is, in turn, directly connected to the rest of the Northeast economy. Having fallen on hard times, Danielson needs an impetus to get its economic engine back on track. This rail connection can provide that spark, literally putting the town back on the map by making it a future stop on the Northeast Corridor. Danielson’s proximity to the beautiful landscapes of the Last Green Valley can make the city a haven for nature enthusiasts across the entire Northeast.

Just like Phase 2, this phase must be built to high-speed specification. Since the new station at Danielson is not a tunnel, it can be built to a smaller scale to start with the intent to expand it once the Northeast Regional trains start running through it. If it is constructed for commuter service only to start, the designs must include provisions to facilitate upgrades when they become necessary.

Phase 4: Complete the Capital Link and Reconnect Hartford to the River The final phase of the HartfordProvidence high-speed rail link is the connection from Danielson to Providence.

Once this section of the line is complete, the high-speed link between Hartford and

Providence will be fully realized and trains Phase 5: Riverfront Reclamation could begin completing the journey in 25 Riverfront reclamation projects need minutes. This link will require new tunnels Establishment of Transport for New England not stop with the one thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently to be constructed beneath Providence that link to the existing Northeast Corridor tracks underground; there is a much bigger river as they head into Providence Station. An hiding from Hartford in plain sight. In yet additional station on this line, Greenville, another unfortunate planning mishap, will be served only by commuter rail service Interstate 91 was placed directly between downtown Hartford and the river Implementation Year 0 Year 1-2 Year 3upon -4 between Hartford and Providence.

Northeast Corridor Rail Line

which the city was founded. Now, accessible only through a series of pedestrian bridges, the Connecticut riverfront in Hartford is an underutilized resource. Since East Hartford already has a major highway interchange with few residents around, it would be an ideal place to re-route this riverfront highway. Reconnecting Hartford Year 5improve - 10 to its riverfront would immediately

Establishment of Transport for New England Land amassing by TfNE Hartford Line upgrades Storrs/Willimantic Line built Danielson Line built Capital Link Complete Station upgrades, if necessary

Hartford

Land amassing policy / Economic development plan enacted I-84 Plan Hartford Station Upgrade Park River daylight Riverfront Reclamation

Last Green Valley / Nature

Last Green Valley Branding Initiative Land preservation policy Use 1% funding for continued land preservation Study where wildlife currently crosses ROW Site and design animal crossings Build animal crossings with rail line

Figure 1. Phasing Plan.

NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | PHASING 104

the quality of life for its residents who would be given another grand expanse of nature at their fingertips without a major interstate right next to them. This is Phase 5 because while it does not have any real impact on the implementation of the other phases, it is a costly investment whose full benefits will likely only be realized once Hartford has gained significant economic traction. It is anticipated that once phases 1-4 are complete, the residents of Hartford will demand that the last step in the city’s transformation be completed.

investigation.

• The findings of the Studio should be summarized into an abbreviated public-facing document to familiarize the communities of southern New England with the high-speed rail plan and begin marshaling political support for its planning and implementation. Of course, localized strategies and messaging will be key to helping residents connect with the highspeed rail and economic renewal plans at the individual and community level, which was simply not feasible given the resources of the Studio. A memorable, appealing name NEXT STEPS (e.g. “Transport for New England (TfNE)”) and complementary branding for the highspeed rail program will also be critical in In the course of researching, analyzing, building momentum in popular support for and synthesizing information for the New the projects.

Prospects for New England studio report, • At the moment, New England’s the Studio has compiled a comprehensive fragmented, multi-tiered political structure list of questions and topics that may makes the building of both consensuses benefit from further exploration.

The and major infrastructure projects difficult.

Studio explored many questions and topics Compounding this challenge is the necessity complementary (and often successive) to the for federal fiscal support of any such project. final contents contained herein, but owing Serious institutional reform, which most to capacity constraints and the importance realistically might involve a special authority of minimizing scope-creep, were unable to created for the explicit purpose of planning, reach the level of understanding required building, and operating high-speed rail to merit their incorporation in this Studio. between New York City and Boston, is In addition to specific recommendations clearly necessary. for advancing the Studio recommendations toward implementation, the subjects and • The Studio focused specifically on the discussion points reviewed below may be Hartford, Connecticut to Providence, Rhode ideal topics of study for future Weitzman Island segment of a new proposed highDesign Studios, professional planners speed rail alignment between New York and decision makers, or other academic 105 NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | NEXT STEPS

City and Boston. Similar analysis must be completed to determine optimal alignments (either existing or new) south of Hartford and east of Providence.

• In that it was the starting point of the high-speed rail segment studied for the Studio, Hartford was a natural choice for an example city to examine, in detail, how it would be transformed by high-speed rail, as well as the steps that may be undertaken to better control that transformation. Further work must be done to understand how smaller towns along the Hartford-Providence route, both those that may receive a train station and those that may not, may be affected by the high-speed rail plan. A “generic small town toolkit” could serve as a baseline of policies that could be implemented to benefit these smaller destinations, but would need to be supplemented by additional planning tailored to each of the diverse nature of the communities between New England’s midsized cities.

• National employment statistics show a net growth in jobs over the 2007-2017 decade. However, the aggregate numbers mask a concerning decline in middle-wage jobs ($18-30 per hour). In fact, over 40% of the jobs created nationally over the time period were low-wage ($18 or less per hour).

The decline of the middle class is intricately tied to the spatial inequality affecting New England cities like Hartford. Further research into the causes of and solutions for nationwide (and localized) income inequality is clearly warranted.

• The “Underpinning Economic Revitalization in Hartford, Connecticut with High-Speed Rail” chapter introduces a proposal for the City of Hartford and the Capital Region Development Authority to acquire parcels in downtown Hartford that will become highly desirable as high-speed rail plans advance. After identifying key parcels, a detailed study of ownership, market value, approximate public acquisition price, and environmental impairment or deed restriction of these parcels can help firm up the financial resources that will be necessary to achieve the Studio’s objectives, which could be followed by an outreach strategy for partnering with Hartford’s major employers to raise the seed funding that will be necessary for the land banking.

and check obstacles.

for

additional,

unforeseen

CONCLUSION

Moving forward with a comprehensive economic revitalization strategy for New England’s left-behind cities and communities, underpinned by a new highspeed rail alignment between Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island, must begin with a thorough business case analysis of the project’s expected benefits and costs. Specific action steps supporting the proposal, which advances the preliminary recommendations and designs of the Studio, should be workshopped and • The environmental analysis included affected with government and civic leaders in the “Exalting Ecology: Building with across New England, which may parallel the Last Green Valley in Mind” chapter the advancement of a major national was completed remotely using geographic infrastructure bill(s) in the current or a information system (GIS), a computer future Congress. Critically, funding should program that utilizes various publicly first be acquired and used to begin acquiring available data sets, which are of varying the right-of-way along the preferred rail quality and recency. In particular, a focused alignment. This should be done concurrently study of current wildlife migration patterns with, or ideally in advance of, the required through the proposed high-speed rail environmental impact studies, to expedite alignment areas would provide planners the rail program’s approval and minimize with better information about the siting and delays to project delivery. costs of wildlife crossings, as well as those for hikers and hunters that may also traverse the heavily forested areas of the Last Green Valley. Before selecting one alignment over another, transportation engineers and decision makers must physically walk the entire alignment to determine its suitability NEW PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENGLAND | CHAPTER 6 | CONCLUSION 106

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The Washington Post, WP Company, 24 Jan. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/ blogs/campus-overload/post/braindrain-states-that-lose-the-most-collegestudents/2012/01/24/gIQARhUoNQ_blog. html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.11b2b8dd5e47.

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Northeastern University Press, 2004.

Lee, Mara. “Hartford Metro Area Has

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“Malloy: Traffic Gridlock Killing NY-CT Job Migration.” Hartford Business Journal, 14 Mar. 2018, www.hartfordbusiness.com/ article/20180314/NEWS01/180319958/ malloy-traffic-gridlock-killing-ny-ct-jobmigration.

“Overview.” CTNext, ctnext.com/overview/.

Northern Powerhouse Rail. Transport for the North, transportforthenorth.com/wpcontent/uploads/Northern-PowerhouseNEMO Program. “Connecticut Habitats.” Rail-booklet-FINAL.pdf.

University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. “Powerhouse 2050: Transforming the North.” https://clear.uconn.edu/tools/habitats/ The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, 2017, grasslands.html www.northernpowerhousepartnership. co.uk/publications/powerhouse-2050“Madison: Economy.” Madison: Economy - transforming-the-north/.

Major Industries and Commercial Activity, Incentive Programs New and Existing Operation Bootstrap: A Comprehensive Businesses, 2019, www.city-data.com/us- Plan of Economic Development Through cities/The-Midwest/Madison-Economy. Entrepreneurship.

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Research Advisors Vincent Goodstadt

David Kooris

Mr. Goodstadt is an Honorary Professorial As Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Fellow at the University of Manchester.

Department of Economic and Community He has a wide range of strategic planning Development, Mr. Kooris works with experience with city regions, for example, in communities large and small across the state Cambridge, Glasgow, Melbourne, New York to develop and implement strategies, built City, and Sheffield. He has worked with a range of international upon their natural and historic assets, to increase their economic bodies including the University of Pennsylvania, the OECD, the prosperity while improving social equity and working towards METREX Network, and the European Environment Agency. environmental sustainability and resilience. One of his focuses is leveraging infrastructure investment to unlock community potential.

He is an Honorary President of the European Council of Spatial He finds that transit-oriented development couched appropriately Planners; a Fellow of the Academy of Social Science; Vice-President within regional context is the most effective path forward. He of the Town and Country Planning Association; a former President has incorporated his experiences as the Connecticut’s Director of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Steering Group Char of the of Resilience, Bridgeport’s Director of their Office of Planning UK2070 Commission and is a member of the Common Futures and Economic Development, and Regional Plan Association Vice President and Connecticut Director into his current work along the Network. state’s rail corridors and in her downtowns.

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Foster Nichols Foster Nichols is a Technical Fellow and Manager of Transit and Rail Operations Planning at WSP. Foster specializes in the development of strategic plans for transportation systems and the planning and design of passenger rail systems and multi-modal terminals.

He has 40 years of experience in the field and has been with WSP and its predecessor firm Parsons Brinckerhoff for 32 years. He has performed over two dozen regional rail and high-speed rail corridor planning and feasibility studies across the U.S., including long-range system and investment plans for the Northeast Corridor between Washington, DC and Boston, the California High-Speed Rail Project, southern California Metrolink system, the Midwest intercity rail network, the Virginia Railway Express, the MARC system in Maryland, the Long Island Rail Road, New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Empire high-speed rail corridor, and the Metrorail system in Cape Town, South Africa. He also has prepared master plans and capital improvement plans for major rail stations and terminals, including New York Penn Station, Washington Union Station, Chicago Union Station, and Baltimore Penn Station. Foster led the planning of transportation system improvements in Lower Manhattan following the events of September 11, 2001 and developed a transportation network expansion plan for the New York region to support the introduction of congestion pricing. Foster also has been a faculty advisor for The UPenn Graduate School of Design Spring megaproject studios since 2010, helping develop plans for megaregion scale rail transportation networks for the U.S. Northeast Corridor, the Jing-Jin-Ji megaregion surrounding Beijing, China, and southern New England.

Mark Pisano Mr. Pisano is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration, member of the Board of the Academy and Co-chairs the Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Relations. He is a Professor of Practice of Public Administration at the Price School of Policy, University of Southern California. He also is Chairman of the Infrastructure Funding Alliance, a non-profit whose mission is developing funding instruments for building infrastructure throughout the nation. He has participated in numerous PennDesign Studios.

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Research Advisors Glendowlyn Thames

Lyle Wray

Glen is the Executive Director of CTNext and Dr. Lyle Wray, PhD, is Executive Director of also serves as the City of Hartford Council the Capitol Region Council of Governments, President in Connecticut. Her multi-faceted the regional planning agency for Greater experience includes over 15 years with Hartford, Connecticut CT. Dr. Wray executive management of organizations and has advised several PennDesign studios, public administration roles focusing on community and economic including the 2016 Rebooting New England and 2017 Singapore development.

HSR high speed rail studios.

In Glenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current role she manages CTNextâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full array of strategic economic development programs focused on fostering entrepreneurship, startup and growth-stage businesses while cultivating a robust innovation ecosystem throughout the State of Connecticut.

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Ming Zhang Dr. Ming Zhang is Professor of Community and & Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center of Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregions (CM2). His research and teaching interests include urban and regional planning (transportation), the built environment-travel behavior relationship, and Geographic Information Systems applications. His recent research has focused on megaregional transportation issues, Transit-oriented development,, Transit-Oriented Development, and HSR,highspeed rail and spatial development in the international settings.

Kip Bergstrom Kipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent consulting work has included: Rebooting New England Project, which aims to create a network of super-connected cities between NYC and Boston; CTNext Innovation Places, which aims to foster dense concentrations of entrepreneurs and innovators at key transit nodes in Connecticut.

Kip previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, with a portfolio that included the development of the innovation economy, statewide branding, as well as the arts and culture, historic preservation and tourism functions.

He has held executive positions in the private, public and non-profit sectors, including serving three mayors and three governors. His interests, writings and accomplishments span the full spectrum of economic development, including: the power of storytelling in defining identity; branding and marketing; tourism; education and talent; transportation; entrepreneurship; technology commercialization; business recruitment and retention; urban design and real estate development; and the interface of the human network and the natural system. He was one of the pioneers of placecentric economic development, which he defines as succeeding economically without losing our soul.

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Authors OUR TEAM - FACULTY Frederick “Fritz” Steiner Dean and Paley Professor, PennDesign Frederick Steiner, FASLA, FAAR, RAAR, SITES AP, is dean and Paley Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design (PennDesign) and co-executive director of The Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology.

Most recently, he served for 15 years as dean of the School of Architecture and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. He previously taught at Penn and the following institutions: Arizona State University, Washington State University, and the University of Colorado at Denver. He was a visiting professor of landscape architecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Dean Steiner was a Fulbright-Hays scholar at Wageningen University, The Netherlands and a Rome Prize Fellow in Historic Preservation at the American Academy in Rome. During 2013 - 2014, he was the William A. Bernoudy Architect in Residence at the American Academy in Rome. A fellow of both the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, and faculty fellow at the Penn Institute for Urban Research, he has written, edited, or co-edited 19 books, including Making Plans: How to Engage with Landscape, Design, and the Urban Environment (UT Press, 2018). He is the co-editor, with Richard Weller, Karen M’Closkey, and Billy Fleming, of Design With Nature Now (Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 2019). Dean Steiner helped establish the Sustainable SITES Initiative, the first program of its kind to offer a systematic, comprehensive rating system designed to define sustainable land development and management, and holds the SITES Professional (SITES AP) credential.

Dean Steiner was a presidential appointee to the national board of the American Institute of Architects and was on the Urban Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board. Previously, he served as president of the Hill Country Conservancy (an Austin land trust) as well as in various capacities on the boards of Envision Central Texas and the Landscape Architecture Foundation. He worked on the Austin Comprehensive Plan (Imagine Austin) and on the campus plan for The University of Texas at Austin. He is co-chair of the Design Review Committee of the University of Pennsylvania campus.

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Bob Yaro PennDesign Professor of Practice Bob Yaro has been Professor of Practice at PennDesign since 2002, where he has taught studios and seminars on large scale infrastructure investments and regional planning.

In 2014 he retired as President of Regional Plan Association, after leading RPA, the strategic planning group for the New York metropolitan region, for 25 years. He led and coauthored RPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1996 Third Regional Plan and initiated its 4th Regional Plan, which was completed in 2017.

He is an Honorary Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and Honorary Lifetime Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

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Authors OUR TEAM - STUDENTS Alex Baum

Isobel Lingenfelter

MCP 2019, Transportation Planning

MCP 2019, Land Use & Environmental Planning

Alex is currently pursuing a Master of City and Regional Planning focused in Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure Planning from the University of Pennsylvania while working as an Associate Planner in the Office Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). Prior to this, he founded and directed an education non-profit in New York City focused on teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) using sailing and boat building to underserved high school students.

Laura Culp MCP 2019, Transportation Planning Laura brings a background of environmental policy, geography, and engineering to her Master of City Planning degree. She enjoys data science and integrating sustainability and water resource management into her transportation planning projects. In addition to being a full-time student, Laura is also a transportation planning intern at Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning, Inc., where she serves as both a transit planner and a data analyst. Before coming to Penn, Laura received a Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction from the University of Delaware after completing an optional senior thesis on comprehensive planning and climate change in Delaware.

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Isobel graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s in Urban Ecology in 2016 while working for Utah Diné Bikéyah.

At this Native American land conservation non-profit, she gained administrative and political experience campaigning for the successful designation of the Bears Ears National Monument. Now a second-year master’s candidate in the City & Regional Planning program at the University of Pennsylvania, Isobel continues to work with her passion for cultural landscapes, deepening her knowledge of land use and environmental planning. Isobel focuses on how to promote the economic and ecological health of places held dear; believing one cannot thrive without the other.

Yufei Yuan MCP 2019, Public Private Development Yufei Yuan is a second-year City Planning student in the Public & Private Development Concentration. Prior to coming to the University of Pennsylvania, Yufei received a Bachelor’s degree in City Planning from Sun Yat-Sen University and interned in a few local planning and design institutes and authorities in Shenzhen, China. Her planning interests are in urban housing and service equality and public-private partnership.

Justine Moodie

Yang Wang

MCP 2019, Land Use & Environmental Planning

MCP 2019, Public Private Development

As a second year Master of City & Regional Yang Wang is a second-year MCP student Planning student, concentrating in Land Use getting a concentration in Public & Private & Environmental Planning with a certificate Development. Yang got her bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development & Design, of City Planning in Peking University, China.

Justin’s interest lies in concentrating future growth by revitalizing She is interested in real estate development. dense urban cores. Justin has a background working in finance and economics and hopes this studio will help him apply his skills to the Yuchen Wang practical challenge of steering struggling communities to prosperity through thoughtful, targeted redevelopment. Since the summer he MCP 2019, Public Private has worked with a small multi-family residential developer focused Development on infill- and transit-oriented development in Philadelphia’s nearin suburbs.

Yuchen is interested urban development under rapid urbanization along with extraordinary economic growth as well as spatial and social inequalities generated by Jiaqi Suo such urbanization. With particular interests on urban governance, MSD 2020, Advanced Architecture urban informality, and land development, Yuchen has previously Design taken internships at government land development and urban Jiaqi Suo grew up in China. She earned village as well as planning agencies in China. Yuchen graduated degree in architecture from Dalian University from the University of California, Berkeley in 2015 with a degree in of Technology and has joined an Master of Architecture.

Advanced Architecture Design program in University of Pennsylvania.

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Authors OUR TEAM - STUDENTS Neil Reid MCP 2019, Transportation Planning After graduating from Rice University in 2008 with a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Neil Narayan worked in the aviation business as an engineer and project manager for the better part of a decade.

After seeing his city transformed by a slew of investments, he became interested in city-level infrastructure and understanding how policy and design decisions shape the places we live. Now, armed with both project management experience and a degree in city planning, Neil seeks to find ways to bring the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; infrastructure into the 21st century.

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University of Pennsylvania, Stuart Weitzment School of Design Master of City Planning, Spring 2019