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<p class="MsoNormal">Rob-<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland (ME) took a parking lot downtown and turned it into a park. It had previously been the
<a href="https://www.portlandlandmarks.org/old-post-office">OId Post Office, was converted to parking for Federal employees in the 1960’s</a>, 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.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Watf1LLWtQ">A good version of the story here.</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In response to concerns about parking downtown, when I was with the City we commissioned a
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/382103324/Parking">downtown parking study</a> that concluded the issue was mostly parking management, not supply. The City also does an
<a href="https://www.portlandmaine.gov/asset/f0e5f8de-c1d2-4a45-8235-810804482515">
annual parking survey</a> of downtown garages that provides good data. But it’s an ongoing issue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff Levine, AICP (he/him)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lecturer of Economic Development and Planning<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Program Head, Housing, Community & Economic Development<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Department of Urban Studies & Planning<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Room 9-511<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jrlevine@mit.edu"><span style="color:#0563C1">jrlevine@mit.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Personal Zoom Room: <a href="https://mit.zoom.us/my/jeff.levine">
<span style="color:#0563C1">https://mit.zoom.us/my/jeff.levine</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Levine, J. (2021). Leadership in Planning: How to Communicate Ideas and Effect Positive Change (1st ed.). Routledge.
<a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429279287"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429279287</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(617) 817-0424<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="125" height="83" style="width:1.302in;height:.8645in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DA3D8F.E8E8F5D0" alt="MIT"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Rob May via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 2, 2024 3:12 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Listserv (massplanners@masscptc.org) <massplanners@masscptc.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Unpaving paradise<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Happy New Year Everyone, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oddly enough, for some reason, the project has generated some controversy. Go figure.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for your help. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rob <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Great, now I've got Joni Mitchell stuck in my head <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Rob May, CEcD<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Director of Planning and Economic Development</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">City of Brockton</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">45 School Street</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Brockton, MA 02301</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">508-580-7113</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><a href="mailto:rmay@cobma.us" target="_blank">rmay@cobma.us</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He/Him/His<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#E69138">Click here to see:</span></b><span style="color:#222222"><br>
</span><a href="https://vimeo.com/citybrockton/wherebetterbegins" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">Where Better Begins</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="96" height="60" style="width:1.0in;height:.625in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4yoFG-59dNVC4ANyrJDHy61moB7tI2s-x1ZP13d-WMuhsAgq1idXGIi2DawnCPo91YiQC9J-v0"><o:p></o:p></p>
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