[Massplanners] Unpaving paradise

[Jeffrey Robert Levine]

Rob-

Portland (ME) took a parking lot downtown and turned it into a park. It had previously been the OId Post Office, was converted to parking for Federal employees in the 1960’s<https://www.portlandlandmarks.org/old-post-office>, and then into a great urban open space in 1993. Post Office Square gets tons of use, it’s hard to imagine the area without it (and it’s right across the street from another park, but they both are generally busy.)

A good version of the story here.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Watf1LLWtQ>

In response to concerns about parking downtown, when I was with the City we commissioned a downtown parking study<https://www.scribd.com/document/382103324/Parking> that concluded the issue was mostly parking management, not supply. The City also does an annual parking survey<https://www.portlandmaine.gov/asset/f0e5f8de-c1d2-4a45-8235-810804482515> of downtown garages that provides good data. But it’s an ongoing issue.

Jeff

Jeff Levine, AICP (he/him)
Lecturer of Economic Development and Planning
Program Head, Housing, Community & Economic Development
Department of Urban Studies & Planning
Room 9-511
jrlevine at mit.edu<mailto:jrlevine at mit.edu>
Personal Zoom Room: https://mit.zoom.us/my/jeff.levine
Levine, J. (2021). Leadership in Planning: How to Communicate Ideas and Effect Positive Change (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429279287
(617) 817-0424
[MIT]



From: MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> On Behalf Of Rob May via MassPlanners
Sent: Tuesday, January 2, 2024 3:12 PM
To: Listserv (massplanners at masscptc.org) <massplanners at masscptc.org>
Subject: [Massplanners] Unpaving paradise

Happy New Year Everyone,

The City of Brockton has been working on a project to convert a tired old surface parking lot into a vibrant public space called Sycamore Grove.

Oddly enough, for some reason, the project has generated some controversy. Go figure.

Apparently, it will be the end of the world if we lose 24 of the 500 parking spaces we have within 1,000 linear feet of this location.

What I hope you all can help me with are examples of other communities that have turned parking lots into public spaces.   I know of one in Cambridge (Starlight) and one in New Bedford (Customs House Square), but I would love to have a few more examples, local or national.

Thanks for your help.

Rob

*Great, now I've got Joni Mitchell stuck in my head


Rob May, CEcD
Director of Planning and Economic Development
City of Brockton
45 School Street
Brockton, MA 02301
508-580-7113
rmay at cobma.us<mailto:rmay at cobma.us>
He/Him/His

Click here to see:
Where Better Begins<https://vimeo.com/citybrockton/wherebetterbegins>

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