Bridging The Acre and Highlands
Jiwon Park, Mengyao Li, Jocelyn Tsai
2022 Spring MUP Core Studio II
SITE ANALYSIS
- Potential of the Site
Jiwon Park, Mengyao Li, Jocelyn Tsai
03.
GOALS & STRATEGIES
- Current Site Conditions - Vision and Goals - Strategies
04.
02. PROGRAMMING
SPATIAL DESIGN
- Green Parking Lot
- Kid’s Playground - Waterfront Community Garden
- Inviting Building Façade - Activity Plaza & Plaza Bridge
- Traffic Calming Strategies - Added Bus Route
- Learn & Create - Collaborate & Showcase
- Taste & Explore - Customize & Enjoy
05.
01. IMPLEMENTATION
- Partnership - Stakeholders - Funding Sources - Phasing
Bridging the Acre and Highlands Contents
Site Analysis
- Potential of the site
- Current site conditions
Bridging the
Highlands
/
Acre and
01
How can we better utilize great cultural anchors alongside the Pawtucket Canal for larger impact?
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Sean Thibodeau, Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 01/Site Analysis
“ Lowell has a gigantic bridge necessity…The Acre is geographically surrounded by water…People don’t actually stop in The Acre.”
Bridging
01/Site Analysis
the Acre and Highlands
How can we connect the Acre to other neighbourhoods and create a stopping point?
Western Avenue Studio (WAS) has a lot of potential.
Community Garden
Highlands 01/Site Analysis
Bridging the Acre and
Western Avenue Studio (WAS) has a lot of potential.
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 01/Site Analysis
01/Site Analysis
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
Bridging the Acre and Highlands can bring broader social and economic impacts.
Site Condition: Areas for Improvement
01/Site Analysis
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
The missed opportunity
Due to the parking lots and warehouses in between, greater synergy between creative industries is undermined.
Isolation from both neighborhoods
Confined by the railway and the canal, WAS is isolated from both The Acre and Highlands.
Bridging
01/Site Analysis
the Acre and Highlands
Single Use + Impervious Surface
The open space in front of WAS is of a single use for parking. It is of impervious surface, with few trees and greenery.
Separation in - between
There is a hidden staircase between two parking lots being a physical barrier to entirely repurposing the site.
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 01/Site Analysis
Fenced Waterfront
The waterfront space is not pleasant both physically and visually. The canal is fenced off, and there are few seating areas.
Unsafe Intersection
The intersection in front of the Pailin Plaza is unsafe for pedestrians due to the lack of clearly defined sidewalks, crosswalks, and street furniture.
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 01/Site Analysis
02/ Goals & Strategies
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 02/Goals & Strategies
A place where people can play, learn, and express creativity
Vision and Goals
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 02/Goals & Strategies
Strategies
01. 02.
Understanding the Condition of WAS
03.
Transforming the surface parking lot & Connecting WAS with Pailin Plaza in Highlands
Inducing private sectors to revitalize the rest of the site
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 02/Goals & Strategies
03/SPATIAL DESIGN
- Transforming the Surface Parking Lot
- Bridging the site to cultural anchors in Highlands
Through a series of public realm activation strategies, The Project create a continuous cultural corridor that attracts residents from both neighborhoods, creates more economic opportunities, and improves the water environment.
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 03/Spatial Design
Parking Lot - Permeable paving - Extensive landscaping - Keep existing trees - Rain garden - Reduce curb
Green
Zenith de Strasbourg Eckbolsheim, France
Kid’s Playground
A kid’s playground with stairs and slides
- Accommodate the height difference
- Create a soft separation between cars and pedestrians.
Big Bang Shanghai, China
Bridging the
03/Spatial Design
Acre and Highlands
Waterfront Community Garden
The combination of community garden and seating area allows closer interaction with the canal.
Skenesborough
Waterfront Community Park New York, NY, US
Bridging
03/Spatial Design
the Acre and Highlands
Inviting Building Facade
Opening up the ground floor of WAS
- Invite cultural activities outside
- Create business opportunities
Bridging the
Highlands 03/Spatial Design
Acre and
Tai Kwun Hong Kong, China
Activity Plaza & Plaza Bridge
The Activity plaza and Plaza Bridge serves as a public space for farmer’s market, performance, outdoor movie, food trucks, outdoor classes, and gathering.
Jackson Square
New Orleans, LA, US
Bridging
03/Spatial Design
the Acre and Highlands
Traffic Calming Strategies
- Make the intersection more pedestrian-friendly
- Encourage people from both directions to explore activities happening on the other side.
Reverberations
Crosswalk Baltimore, MD, US
03/Spatial Design
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
Added Bus Route
Free weekend buses
- Bypass the railroad - Bring in residents of Lowell
Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MRTA) Lowell, MA, US
Riverfront Walkway
Future connection with the in-progress Upper Pawtucket Canal Walkway will increase the impact of this cultural anchor.
Department of Planning and Development & Lowell National Historical Park Lowell, MA, US
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 03/Spatial Design
PROGRAMMING
What immediate steps can we take to draw people to the area while retaining parking lot function at certain times?
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 04/
Location – Western Avenue Studios parking lot
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 04/Programming
LEARN & CREATE A B C D A B C D
COLLABORATE & SHOWCASE E F G E F G
TASTE & EXPLORE H I H I
CUSTOMIZE & ENJOY J K L M J K L M
05
IMPLEMENTATION
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 05/Implementation
/
How can we leverage existing resources to implement this project?
- Community Partners
- Public & Private Stakeholders
- Funding Sources
- Project Phasing
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
Partnership
Food Industry Partners:
- Food Truck Builders Group
- Pailin Plaza
- Restaurants on Merrimack Street
Technical School & Community Organization Partners:
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell
- Greater Lowell Technical High School
- Mill City Grows
Entrepreneur & Maker Space Partners:
- Lowell Makes
- New Vestures
- UMass Lowell Innovation Hub
- Entrepreneurship for All Art, Dance & Music Partners:
- DAHC Art
- Salsa in Lowell
- Angkor Dance Troupe
- Agape Training Center
- UMass Lowell Sound Recording Technology
Stakeholders
Funding Sources
Public Entity
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 05/Implementation
Entity Landowners: - Western Avenue Lofts LLC - BPV Lowell LLC - Pailin Plaza Inc. Canal Operation: - Boott Hydro - Central Rivers Power - Proprietors of Locks and Canals
Private
Plaza Bridge:
MassWorks Infrastructure Grant Program
Municipal Small Bridge Program
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) Grant Program
Funding: - Commonwealth Places Fund
MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI)
Acre Catalyst Fund
Community Garden:
Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP)
For
-
-
-
-
General
-
-The
For
-
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 05/Implementation
– Short Term A B C D INTERIM PARKING LOT ACTIVATION STRATEGIES POTENTIAL TO EXPAND PARKING LOT ACTIVATION NEW BUS ROUTE CONNECTION TO SITE BRIDGE AND ACTIVITY PLAZA CONSTRUCTION
Phase I
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 05/Implementation
–
Term E F G H WATERFRONT SEATING, COMMUNITY GARDEN, & GREEN PARKING LOT OPEN BUILDING FAÇADE, STIMULATE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY PAWTUCKET CANAL WALKWAY ON SOUTHERN BANK TRAFFIC INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS TOWARD PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Phase II
Mid
Bridging the Acre and Highlands 05/Implementation
J I L CONVERT PARKING LOT FOR PERMANENT PROGRAMMING INDUCE PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT ON ADJACENT PARCELS CANAL WALKWAY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WATERFRONT ZONING - DESIGNATE AS ART & CULTURE INNOVATION DISTRICT K
Phase III – Long Term
Conclusion
Bridging the Acre and Highlands
Thank you!
Jiwon Park, Mengyao Li, Jocelyn Tsai
Bridging the
and Highlands
Acre
2022 Spring MUP Core Studio II