Streetscapes Revisited: The Opportunity for Re-Visioning our Cities Remains

By John Rufo + Gillan H. Wang

We published this blog one year ago to consider the Pandemic’s impact on our built environment.  At the time there was no way to imagine how long we would be living with Covid, and as such we felt a sense of urgency to capitalize on some of the innovations that stemmed from needing to temporarily adapt to unforeseeable circumstances, such as dining outdoors and reclaiming open spaces. Today, sadly, we are more aware of the lasting nature of this epidemic. We have updated and republished this blog as a reminder of the continued opportunity to reflect on how we use our streets and public spaces.

In 2020 the NY Times ran an Opinion piece about the benefits of banning individually owned cars in Manhattan by Farhad Manjoo. The article touts the merits of wider sidewalks, more efficient public transit, healthier living, and generally more desirable public spaces that enhance and celebrate the pedestrian experience.  It also features the compelling work done by the folks at the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). At Form + Place we continue to think about how the Pandemic is shaping the way we use the spaces surrounding our homes, schools, and places of business. Picnic tables on the town common and pop-up outdoor restaurant seating on sidewalks continue to foster streetscapes that are appealing and more socially inclusive.  While vehicular traffic has certainly returned, it is worth giving some critical thought to the inherent possibilities of a re-imagined streetscape.

Pedestrian streets creating a place for dining, shopping and strolling

Already familiar with a handful of places (in Boston and beyond) that have closed off former streets to vehicular traffic, we know the joys of strolling and dining in the resulting bustling urban centers.  Pedestrians brushing up against diners, people jostling with bicyclists, and goods brought out from shops to optimize their visibility and appeal, all contribute to a sense of vitality, which in turn draws crowds.  This is an effective method to continue to employ as we re-vision our cities.  In addition, guideline resources such as Complete Streets codify proven successful design interventions such as parklets and curb extensions.

Parklets

Curb Extensions

Some will argue that parking spaces are a valuable commodity and the lifeblood of already precariously poised retail venues in small downtowns and villages. However when it comes to the ends of blocks where restaurants are often sited and where street crossings are most encouraged, the sheer volume of people and activity suggest that visible curb extensions, textural changes to paving, lighting accents and increased signage are all important parts of traffic calming and establishing pedestrian-focused hierarchy.

By applying this model to Newbury Street in Boston, or a suburban town center like Needham, it isn’t hard to imagine a different reality where a larger portion of the street is dedicated to pedestrians, dining, and other activities, rather than to moving and storing cars. The creative spontaneous response during the COVID crisis where small portions of “streets” are reclaimed for other uses has functioned as a real-time experiment, allowing us to easily imagine our typical street a little differently. Replace the jersey barriers, the traffic cones and temporary galvanized railings with design elements of the same function but better aesthetics, and the street quickly becomes a new kind of enjoyable place to dwell in and share.

Photos of Newbury Street and Needham Center

Sketches over the above photos showing how easily the streetscape might be improved

Historically, it is only in the last century that the street has come to be dominated by the presence of the privately owned automobile. In ancient and medieval times streets were mostly narrow pathways between buildings, places to route water, goods and sewage, where crosswalks were constructed as literal river crossings.

Typical medieval streets and the ancient roads of Pompeii

The striking juxtaposition of photos of Park Avenue in NYC at the turn of the century and today (as seen in Manjoo’s NY Times article) is a dramatic accounting of good intentions gone awry by changing values.  This is a perfect moment in time to reevaluate our intentions for the built environment of the future.

Evolution of Park Avenue

In many European cities, the “sidewalk” and “roadbed” are often barely distinct from one another, beyond a subtle change in paving. This reinforces an understanding that the street is a dynamic entity that can be re-purposed as needs dictate, and this idea is particularly intriguing.  Could the future of our thoughtfully planned streets allow for the capacity to be literally dynamic?  Imagine a boulevard with limited vehicular traffic (perhaps busses and bikes, as PAU describes in their proposal for NYC) which would allow for restaurants and shops to engage the public more directly, and support increased amenities for the passer-by.

Traditionally the boundary between a street and a market is more implicit than explicit.  An open market can take over a street at certain times of the day with the barkers calling out to pedestrians.  At night shops shutter their doors and restaurants take the stage, extending their indoor atmosphere and allure to the world of the street.

Examples of streets with dynamic edges

At a moment when our commuting patterns have been adjusted, our emphasis on public gathering has been refocused, and we are poised to embrace equity in transportation, it’s important to see the temporary adjustments we’ve made to our streets as a first step toward a better design for our towns and cities. Yes, there will still be cars and stop lights and parking meters, but if a larger portion of the street is dedicated to pedestrians and activities of a more intimate scale, we can humanize our built environment a little more fully, reclaiming some of the real estate lost to our cars and creating a more equitable ownership of the public realm.

Additional sources of inspiration for this post and things we are enjoying reading include:

• ULI pavement to parks:

  https://americas.uli.org/search?q=pavement+to+parks#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=pavement%20to%20parks&gsc.page=1

• Richard Florida – The Lasting Normal:

  file:///C:/Users/jrufo/Documents/Form%20+%20Place/Marketing/Blog/200715/The%20New%20Normal%20After%20the%20Coronavirus%20Pandemic%20-%20Bloomberg.html

• Fergus O’Sullivan – Public Space When Everything Moves Outside file:///C:/Users/jrufo/Documents/Form%20+%20Place/Marketing/Blog/200715/The%20New%20Normal%20After%20the%20Coronavirus%20Pandemic%20-%20Bloomberg.html 

• New York Times/Opinion “I’ve Seen a Future Without Cars and It’s Amazing”

  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/opinion/sunday/ban-cars-manhattan-cities.html

Placemaking: The Key to a Holistic Vision that Re-engages Amesbury’s Lower Millyard

By Michael A. Wang

Amesbury, Massachusetts is a community blessed with a unique collection of assets, including an attractive natural landscape, a built environment that is ripe for continued redevelopment, and an inherent “walkability.” In addition to its beautiful riverfront and collection of mill buildings with architectural merit, the City has a very engaged and thoughtful leadership and an active citizenry. As is the case with many similar communities, however, Amesbury has an outdated Master Plan [2004] which it still looks to for guidance. While many of the overarching variables that drove recommendations for future economic development strategies have remained relatively constant, there are some notable new challenges in the downtown, including an increasingly parcelized land ownership equation and a somewhat disconnected public realm.

This past month I had the opportunity to co-chair an Urban Land Institute [ULI] Technical Assistance Panel [TAP] in Amesbury, which was focused on helping the City address the challenges it has faced in redeveloping the Lower Millyard. The TAP panelists discovered a City with a proactive spirit but an underlying need to have a reframed holistic vision for its downtown core. The good news for Amesbury: the opportunities hugely out-weigh the challenges. The downtown has a terrific “vibe” stemming from a bustling mix of uses, including breweries and a wide range of artisan / light industrial enterprises. Layered on top of that is a natural environment that includes interesting topography and a variety of open spaces and a Riverwalk that affords active connections to neighboring communities.

The Lower Millyard area has been the focus of Amesbury’s redevelopment efforts for many years and, while a number of goals outlined in the 2004 Master Plan have been realized – relocating DPW facilities from a prime riverfront parcel and constructing a new transportation / senior center – the district still remains effectively disconnected from the downtown. The solution, I would argue, lies in a thoughtful and multi-faceted approach to placemaking that focuses on familiar themes increasingly utilized throughout similarly scaled communities:

Streetscapes: There is nothing more critical than active, attractive and functional pedestrian environments - the “connective tissue” of any vibrant downtown. In Amesbury, there are large areas where sidewalks do not exist currently and this results in unsafe footing, poor lighting and no continuity of landscaping, often provided by elements such as street trees.

Public parks: A flexible and programmable public space at the core of one’s downtown can often provide an identity for a community and become a destination / attraction. Amesbury has invested in targeted enhancements to its riverfront - namely Heritage Park - in recent years and, while the park has the potential to be a focal point for downtown events, it still lacks connectivity to both the downtown core and the Lower Millyard District. The removal of a structurally unsound brick warehouse building located in the park could transform the area, creating a more significant space for public gathering. And with revitalized streetscapes, purposeful engagement of the existing riverwalk, and the careful repositioning of surrounding City-owned parcels, this area could truly become the hub of activity for Amesbury.

Parking strategy: Many communities are convinced that they do not have enough parking capacity, but the problem is often one of location, accessibility and wayfinding. In Amesbury, as with other walkable New England communities like Portsmouth, NH, well-located off-street parking in the downtown core can be key to supporting local businesses, revitalizing pedestrian environments and creating the perception of an accessible destination. The repositioning of the City-owned lot on Water Street into a new mixed-use structure, lined with active street-level commercial uses, would serve to promote walkable connections and could make Heritage Park and the riverfront the focal point of Amesbury’s downtown.

Key parcel acquisition: A lack of continuity in pedestrian streetscapes can present the greatest challenge to creating a holistic and well-connected downtown environment. This is often exasperated by properties with poorly sited buildings that do not contribute to defining street walls or have uses – frequently automobile-centric - that present aesthetic challenges. While Amesbury does have control over many key parcels in the Heritage Park area, the strategic acquisition of a few privately-owned parcels in the downtown could unlock the “experiential” qualities of the core, providing both visual and physical connections to the Oakland Street mill buildings in the Lower Millyard. The repositioning of two properties, in particular - a salvage yard and an adjacent auto service establishment - could facilitate more direct pedestrian links while accommodating desirable uses, such as multi-family residential, which is desperately needed in the downtown.

Multi-family housing: Locating a variety of housing typologies in the core of any community promotes diversity and can provide the 24/7 “critical mass” that local businesses need. Amesbury has a unique and vibrant mix of uses in its downtown, but it lacks a diverse housing stock. As with so many suburban ring nodes, Amesbury needs more multi-family residential product to provide housing options for both the young professional demographic and an over-55 group who are ready to live in new environs but wanting to stay in their hometown community. Proximity to downtown restaurants and amenities, as well as a revitalized open space network, would certainly make downtown Amesbury an ideal location for multi-family and mixed-use development.

Amesbury’s diverse assets certainly have it well-positioned for continued revitalization. While communities often focus on proactive land acquisition, public-private partnerships and catalyzing projects – all, no doubt, critical pieces of the economic development equation – Amesbury is a prime example of a downtown in need of a holistic placemaking strategy. Its natural environment, complete with riverwalks, waterfalls, public parks and unique topography, can be the driver for providing the necessary “connectivity,” if stitched together thoughtfully.

Jason Korb: Three Tenets of Affordable Housing

A Conversation with Form + Place

Lack of housing can be directly tied to many of America’s social problems, such as poverty, homelessness, education disparity, and access to health care. Creating a more diversified housing stock in cities and towns like Newton and Needham is of particular interest right now as people grapple with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We sat down recently with Jason Korb, President of Capstone Communities, LLC, who has become a sought-out local expert on the issues surrounding affordable housing. 

Jason theorized that there are “three tenets of affordable housing”: 1) zoning, 2) funding, and 3) political will. Zoning is critically important in allowing for adequate availability of diverse sites for the creation of affordable housing - whether auxiliary apartments, 2- or 3-family homes, or multifamily residences.  Next, funding sources need to be in place.  In many communities, funding is available, but often a lot of know-how on both the public and private side of the equation is required to effectively leverage resources.  Finally, in the political arena, community leaders need to demonstrate that their cities and towns are “open for business”.  Communities that have been successful in achieving good affordable housing genuinely support private public partnerships (P3, not to be confused with PPP) which facilitate development opportunities, support a more diverse demographic and economy, and ultimately increase revenue for the town, and quality of life for all. 

The following Q & A highlights some of the salient points that we took away from our conversation.

Port Landing, Cambridge, MA *

1.     Zoning

 F+P: We heard you speak recently and you called out Cambridge, MA, as a relatively forward-thinking city in terms of supporting new affordable housing.  What are they doing that is unique and how does it aid the process?

JK: The city of Cambridge has a citywide housing overlay district, which allows for as-of-right affordable multifamily housing.  While this tool does not work for every site, in some cases it makes it much easier to finance and permit a property and, thus, speeds up the process for securing a property, construction and ultimately occupancy.

F+P: The city of Newton is generally known for its high AMI and disproportionally low affordable housing stock.  As you know, the City has been hard at work revisiting their zoning ordinances in recent years.  What provisions would you suggest that would better promote mixed-income and affordable housing? 

JK: The general sentiment among developers is that Newton is a challenging city in which to build affordable housing. I would recommend 2-family zoning by-right, throughout the city, with multifamily zoning in villages, along major corridors, and near transportation hubs, combined with significantly scaled-back parking requirements.  I would also suggest creating an affordable housing special permit mechanism, as this allows community input, but also makes it harder for abutters to appeal high-quality affordable housing projects in their neighborhoods. 

Zoning reform should also encourage diverse housing stock for a variety of households, from those that are extremely low income to those that are part of the “missing middle”. We especially need to incentivize and require that developments include housing for extremely and very low-income households.

We are all bound by the high cost of housing in Newton.  If a person or empty nested-couple wants to down-size, it is nearly impossible to find housing for a reasonable price, relative to the home that they currently occupy.  In addition, as someone who grew up and attended public schools in Newton, I have seen how difficult it is for so many of my friends to live in Newton, due to the high cost of housing.

Station Lofts, Brockton, MA *

2.     Funding

F+P: What are some of the common funding sources that a developer might seek in pursuing an affordable housing project?

JK: Some sources are more encumbered than others.  A typical resource that developers can tap in municipalities that have adopted this mechanism, are funds from the Community Preservation Act (CPA).  Local CPA funds are generated by a small property tax (1-3%) and are matched by a statewide CPA Trust Fund. These funds can be used for: 1) open space 2) historic preservation 3) affordable housing, with 10% required to be put towards each category and the balance (70%) used at the City’s discretion for any of the three categories.  Newton is a community that has significant CPA resources, and when coupled with other local federal funding (such as HOME and CDBG) they can be used to leverage significant state and federal resources. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to seek approval for CPA and other local resources in a timely way, given the short time that a property might be on the market (or off-market, as a pocket listing).  By the time local funding is secured, the property may have already been sold to a market rate developer. The City is exploring the creation of an Affordable Housing Trust, but unless that Trust has decision making and funding authority, I am unclear about how it will expedite the funding process. 

F+P: We have done a fair bit of work in Springfield, MA, and have seen how developers are utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and Historic Tax Credits (HTC) there, but they still need to fill the funding gap through other resources/subsidies. How can municipalities be proactive in this regard?

JK: In addition to local funding, there are both state and federal sources.  The goal is to get them to work in concert, but often zoning restrictions preclude that from happening.  For example, common initiatives to fund 2- and 3-family affordable housing units do not result in an optimal use of funds.  A better strategy would be to invest slightly more local money for larger scale projects, which would then leverage the maximum state and federal benefit. More units allow developers to take advantage of tax credits, and ultimately provide more housing.  I am currently working in Bridgewater, and it is a great example of a town that invested on the local level to secure additional state and federal funding.

Station Lofts, Brockton, MA *

3.     Political Will

F+P: Why is it so difficult to move the conversation forward and what are the real issues?

JK: NIMBY-ism is real.  Everyone “supports” affordable housing in theory, but when a new project is proposed in one’s own neighborhood, it can be hard to accept.  People will not admit that they are concerned about property values being diminished, for example, but of course this is a big part of the issue, even though all the data show that property values do not decrease when multifamily and affordable housing is constructed in a community.  Change is hard for people, which is completely understandable. However, we all must accept change in order to support a meaningful effort to create affordable housing in our communities.

F+P: How do we get past the stigma of affordable housing?  Can we make progress through education? Do we have to wait for a catalyzing event?

JK: This is a real quandary.  Politicians and developers strive to listen and talk with the “whole community”, but we need to be mindful of who is speaking on behalf of the community.  The “community” is made up of individuals, each of whom has his or her own opinions on issues and development proposals. Often the voices at zoning and planning boards do not reflect the diverse perspectives of the entire community, but rather the select few who have the time and fewer family commitments that allow them to participate.  It is difficult for parents with young children to attend hearings, since we typically have family obligations that coincide with evening meetings. In addition, many lower income parents work schedules that are not as conducive to attending a hearing at 7pm, for example.  Zoning reform could include ways to make the zoning and approvals process more inclusive in order to engage all interested parties, not just those with the time and resources that allow them to speak more loudly than others.

* Architecture and Planning by PCA

Q & A with Adam Conviser: The State of Retail in the Boston Suburbs

Interview by John Rufo

Form + Place recently sat down with Adam Conviser of CPG to get his take on the retail/commercial space market and current trends as we dive into 2021. Adam’s cross-disciplinary take on landlord and tenant representation, development, and management of commercial space lends a perspective that looks beyond design but also points to clear effects and impacts on the future of our cities and towns.

Adam, thanks for joining us. I’ve heard you use the term “Huburbs” on a few calls recently. Explain what it is and what’s happening there.

Let me first say that because Boston is referred to as the HUB, and although we do work in the city, a great majority of our practice falls in the suburbs of the HUB, so we have affectionately referred to this trade area as the "HUBURBS". I think this term has legs...

We are seeing a pick-up in activity across the board.  I would say up until August it was crickets. Now the phone is ringing, tenants are chasing space, more workouts for deferred rent have been finalized, reduced rent and new deal structures have been made, and tenants are using this time to remodel and extend term - such as Yoki at Station Landing in Medford, for example. 

Yoki, Station Landing, Medford

What specific activity do you see? 

We are seeing restaurants getting creative. Winter has eliminated outdoor seating, although we have seen some igloos at Patriot Place and Tavern in the Square in Burlington, along with “Heated Tent” at Dunn-Gaherin's in Newton. Lookout Farms in Natick has created a whimsical strung-light dining experience, with picnic tables inside a converted greenhouse. The tables have heaters and are spread out and it’s nice to just be with people. My family enjoyed a fun dinner out a couple of weeks ago and it felt safe and was a needed change of scenery.

Lookout Farms in Natick

Some openings include Cacao Chocolatier and cafe in Newton Highlands (killer hot chocolate!), Lacon Paris Patisserie in Newton Highlands (solid espresso and macaroons), Tous le Jours, a bakery/cafe will be occupying the former Murray's Liquors in Newton Center.  PEX fitness in Needham, despite the reduced capacity, has kept it safe and has thrived during a challenging time, offering people the ability to stay in shape physically and mentally. Hats off to proprietor Michael Campanella and his team. Bianca's restaurant (sushi, pizza, rotisserie chicken) in Chestnut Hill at The Street opened, as did Sushico (former owners of Central) in Newton Center. In Brookline's Coolidge Corner, Novel Kitchen opened as part of the iconic Brookline Booksmith (taking over the Verizon space), offering light fare/drinks in a bookstore setting. Tatte Bakery at 420 Harvard Street, steps from Coolidge Corner, also seems rather busy. Unfortunately, across the street, one of my favorite coffee shops, 4A Coffee, will be closing in February. Restaurants have pivoted to provide touchless transactions, switching up menus, traveling and executing pop-ups (leveraging social media for announcements, buzz, and viral word of mouth). Sorry for using the word “viral”.

Tatte Bakery in Brookline

What emerging concepts do you think will stick as we transition through the Pandemic and beyond?

The parklets and expanded seating areas that restaurants have employed have been a lifesaver but, as we look to the future in a post-Pandemic world, these parklets should take on a more permanent place in our downtowns and become more refined in their design and deployment. They activate the streetscapes in our downtown and allow for increased social interaction and, in some instances, look really good. I think closing streets (diverting traffic) and reclaiming parking spaces should all be studied by our cities and towns. Restaurants that continue to provide outdoor space will in turn increase street activation and foot-traffic, thereby attracting some “not-food merchants”, who will further increase activity.

Instagram Poll

 Wow! You know it’s a New Day when you hear retail leasing specialists advocating for parking spaces being devoted to other uses! Who is winning out there?

Suburban kitchens that can accommodate a drive-thru or pick-up window - Soup Factory in Newton on Needham Street has a pick-up window and it’s busy (I can attest). Chipotle is growing and adding the "Chipotlane" Drive-Thru. Mamaleh's Deli in Cambridge has deployed suburban pop-ups that seem to be doing really well, with the help of social media. The same can be said for Flour Bakery with their pop-up in Chestnut Hill. Tatte Bakery in the suburbs, with their expanded dinner menu, seems to be a perfect fit in the suburban Pandemic world. These are all winners. That said, restaurants make their money on alcohol and this is tough to do in a take-home model. A great many restaurants will be a casualty of the Pandemic and will not come back. I will be curious to see what happens to Blue on Highland, which has been closed for the entire Pandemic.

Drive-thru in Warwick, RI (Form + Place project)

What do you think of the staying power of the BUY ONLINE PICK UP IN STORE (BOPIS) trend? 

Speaking with a friend, who is an investor through a hedge fund in retail, the discussions with CEOs on earnings calls all reveal the same thing - customers picking up merchandise inside a store is profitable, and e-commerce often is not. The Wall Street Journal had an article about how retailers are telling customers to keep merchandise they planned to return. This would seem to confirm just how lousy the e-commerce margins are, which is further corroborated by Amazon's own disclosure about losing money in e-commerce. The talk is that stores are trying to figure out new store deployment strategies to reduce e-commerce shipping and make pick-ups using BOPIS appear to be a more convenient option for customers. This will also generate additional sales, simply by having a customer physically enter a store. There is also a lot of talk about "last mile" delivery or micro-fulfillment. Stores essentially become mini warehouse/distribution hubs. Some grocery stores are talking about closing some units for retail and using them as micro-fulfillment centers. 

With so many people focused on brands that they can get behind socially and from a value standpoint, what do you see in the Direct to Consumer (DTC) space?

Direct to Consumer brands had record sales during the Pandemic, but it’s a hard way to make a profit. It will be interesting to see who figures out the balance between DTC and brick and mortar. The post-Pandemic landscape will provide an opportunity for some DTC brands to establish themselves as the leaders. The acquisition of customers and fulfillment are hurdles to DTC brands (Chewey, Casper, Bonobos, Glossier, Hims, Rent the Runway, Stitch Fix, Warby Parker).

How did holiday sales look?

It depends on the category, as Target was above projection, but in general the holiday was more robust than expected.

Total retail sales grew 3% over the extended 75-day holiday period, versus a forecast of 2.4%, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks online and in-store retail sales across all payment methods. The number is far better than the 3.5% drop recorded during 2008, the last U.S. recession.  (Bloomberg)

Needham Streetscape during Pandemic

Needham Streetscape Intentionally Reclaimed

Stepping back to the big takeaways, what is the new "main on main" post-Pandemic?

THE SUBURBS/HUBURBS SUPERPOWER: Post-Pandemic the workforce will not be the same in the city. We know this. Everyone is talking about how the Pandemic has made people realize that working from home has its perks in the work-life balance scale. That said, some of us need to be in our offices for collaboration, teamwork, and some jobs just can't be duplicated at home. So, what does the new model look like? I have heard from many discussions that companies will have modified work weeks, with employees perhaps going into the office 2 or 3 days and working the balance from home. While this strengthens the daytime population in the suburbs, it also means that our merchants will benefit. Stores and restaurants will have to figure out how the dust settles, but we are already seeing a push from merchants and restaurants looking for suburban street fronts to accommodate a change in traffic patterns. Additionally, a lot of offices are deciding to move from the city to the suburbs to be closer to their workforce, and to provide more space. This will further emphasize this change. We will be leaning on AI, location intelligence merging cellular data and customer profiling tools to tell us what is happening in real-time on the street. This data will be essential in redefining what our new trade areas look like, and these numbers will dictate what it means to be "main on main".  I think the new HUB, or HUBs, will be the HUBURBS.

The Future of the Ground Floor

By Michael A. Wang

Ground floor spaces in mixed-use buildings have long been charged with the responsibility of shaping a meaningful dialogue with urban streetscapes, helping to ensure their vibrancy, as well as provide human scale and safety. Zoning bylaws and design guidelines - such as those recently crafted by Form + Place for the City of Newton to define the architectural and place-making qualities of the Northland Newton and Riverside Station projects – often rely on prescriptive criteria chosen to enhance the pedestrian experience. In an effort to create highly articulated and engaging environments, guidelines often incorporate requirements for storefront transparency, the frequency of entrances, as well as the thoughtful integration of signage, pop-outs and canopies, but “use” can be the key ingredient.

Riverside Station Design Guidelines

In a 2018 Form + Place blog post, my colleague, John Rufo, referenced an article in the New York Times that chronicled the dearth of retail store closures around New York City (“A Vibrant City’s Vacant Look” by Corey Kilgannon, Sunday September 2nd, 2018). In looking back at this period, it is clear that conversations regarding the challenges of the ground floor were already in full swing prior to the onset of COVID-19. Today, everywhere you look, there are vacant storefronts, including in some of the most attractive and traditionally vibrant village centers. Will this pass? What will the ground floor of buildings look like in the post-pandemic era? How should zoning and design guidelines evolve to provide the necessary flexibility?

Ground floor vacancies on Lincoln Street in Newton Highlands, MA

There are no doubt trends in the retail world that have been accelerated by the pandemic, and certain shopping habits will likely be forever transformed by online retail giants like Amazon, but I would argue that experiential / social / community-based uses will once again thrive. Restaurants and coffee shops, that have always been key to activating the public realm and serving as places of community dialogue, have certainly morphed in an effort to accommodate seasonal outdoor dining and take-out, but limitations on indoor seating capacity will continue to challenge their viability in the short term.

Seasonal outdoor dining for O’Hara’s Pub inserted into a parking lot, Newton Highlands, MA

Many mixed-use developments taking shape in communities with zoning that mandates active ground floor uses, look to solutions that include fitness space or other residential amenity spaces. While these uses offer a sense of activity and, perhaps, a feeling that there are still “eyes on the street”, they do not engage the public in a similar manner, as pedestrians do not casually walk in and out of these spaces, serendipitously experiencing what they may have to offer. And, while there will certainly continue to be demand for a certain amount of service retail – hair and nail salons, drycleaners, banks – these are not the key to shaping the urban experience of tomorrow.

Shared office space will likely play an important role, as small businesses shift to hybrid models that balance remote production with smaller collaborative workspaces. Clearly, these types of environments will facilitate public engagement and contribute to a specific type of social interface. The future of a vibrant ground floor, however, may in fact lie in community-based uses. In the heart of downtown Springfield, MA, Make-It Springfield serves as a community “makerspace” with a focus on art and technology workshops, among other things. Originally planned, by the UMASS Design Center and MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, as a short-term “pop-up” in 2016, this space has become a focal point for the neighborhood. This type of flexible space, that offers opportunities for gathering, learning and cultural events, will most certainly become more critical to community building. In addition to providing satellite educational spaces and incubation / gallery space for artists, these spaces can also serve to promote the development of entrepreneurial local businesses.

Make-It Springfield on Worthington Street in the downtown

Examples of where this construct has been employed to shape urban neighborhoods, including the Ku.Be House of Culture & Movement in Copenhagen, show that communities can take ownership of these types of flexible spaces, allowing for the purposeful infusion of a unique blend of programming and place-making that is rooted in social and experiential engagement.

Ku.Be House of Culture & Movement – flexible community center in Copenhagen