City of Somerville Adopts Brickbottom Neighborhood Plan

We are excited to announce that the City of Somerville has officially adopted the Brickbottom Neighborhood Plan, a transformative vision to revitalize one of the City's most iconic industrial areas. The plan aims to create a vibrant arts district with a mix of uses that balances new housing, job opportunities, and open spaces. The plan focuses on improving connectivity, promoting sustainability, and preserving Brickbottom's unique cultural and industrial heritage, setting the stage for an exciting future. We thank the residents, business owners, and community members who helped create this visionary plan.

Learn more about the project here.

Nashua Launches Land Use Code Update →

Expanding upon the groundwork laid by the Imagine Nashua master planning effort, the city is entering an exciting new phase of implementation by initiating a comprehensive update of its land use regulations, in partnership with Principle Group, its selected code consultant.

Read the entire article here

Visit the Nashua re-CODE Website here

Mission Hill Development Wins CNU Merit Award →

Rebuilding Tremont Street in Mission Hill is a collection of buildings that enhance a neighborhood in Boston. New Urban Partners and Principle Group won a Merit Award in the Block, Street, and Building category of the 2024 CNU Charter Awards.

“The transformation of Tremont Street is remarkable,” explains a business owner. “It's more than just new buildings; it's about a rejuvenated community spirit. Seeing our people run thriving businesses here has brought a new energy to Mission Hill.”

Read entire article here

Shawmut Design and Construction celebrates topping off on Rafi Properties’ life sciences hub

“599 Somerville Avenue will provide moderate floor plate sizes for growing tough tech companies. The building has been designed to prioritize flexible, day-lit tenant spaces, and an active ground floor that engages pedestrians along Somerville Avenue, as well as one story of underground parking.”

Read the entire article here

What's in Store for Freeport?

For decades, outlet retail has anchored Maine’s most-visited downtown. Now, its champions say the next iteration needs more than big brands. Read the whole article here

You can't have a vibrant downtown without housing.

Planning Director, Vanessa L. Farr, recorded “Let’s Connect” with Greater Portland Council of Government’s Executive Director, Kristina Egan,  Claire Houston, and John Egan re: efforts to add housing to downtown Freeport and the oft challenges of doing so.

Listen to the full podcast here!

Maine Towns Tackle Codes to Address Housing Crunch

The towns of Bethel, Greenwood, and Woodstock are collaborating with Principle Planning to produce case studies of desirable housing development scenarios; test those scenarios against existing building and development ordinances; and recommend strategies to repair codes and reduce barriers to development of quality middle-income housing. 

Read more here.

Turning an office park into a town center

The rethinking of a conventional office park, Carmel Gateway is the latest big idea to be proposed in Carmel, Indiana, the city of roundabouts.

Rubenstein [Partners] reached out to Speck & Associates, who teamed up with the Principle Group to reconceptualize the roughly 50-acre study area as a neighborhood that balances office, housing, retail, and recreational uses. (Full disclosure, this article’s author managed the project for Principle). The goal was to supplement the site’s already good vehicular and cycling access with a fully walkable destination that would proclaim to visitors Carmel’s commitment to high-quality urbanism.

Read the full article here

Maine town known for retail shops wants to refocus on its residents

Currently, only 335 people live in the downtown area, which often is filled with tourists and shoppers. That’s something Town Council Chair Dan Piltch wants to see change, with plans to add housing for up to 1,500 people, including along Depot Street, which now has a lot of empty buildings and parking lots.

“Two years ago we all looked around and weren’t crazy about what we saw,” Piltch said at an informational meeting on the downtown vision plan on Tuesday morning. “We saw a Main Street that was dependent on retail outlets with a lot of empty storefronts and not a lot of local residents walking up and down the street.”

Read the full article here

Freeport Plan would add Neighborhood Appeal to its Downtown

“For the past two years, town officials have been working with Boston urban design firm Principle Group to try to reimagine Freeport’s town center as more of a traditional downtown that meets the needs of residents and the millions of tourists who visit each year. The firm has taken business and resident input for months, and the plan is on track to be finalized in May.

Russell Preston, Principle Group’s founder, said the plan for downtown Freeport is similar to that of the quintessential New England village: It should be the heart of the community and a place for everyone to enjoy.

“I think Freeport is in the process of reinventing itself and understanding that downtown can become a neighborhood again,” he said, adding that the neighborhood would have jobs, industry, corner stores and more.”

Read full article here

Kara Wilbur Transitions to Advisory Team

After 10 years as regional planning director, Kara Wilbur has engaged full time in community-based real estate development. Her projects are focusing on bringing dignified and missing middle housing to Maine’s upper coastal and interior communities. Her work will include retail, industrial, and mixed use projects. These projects span historic rehabilitation to new infill construction. Kara continues to work with Principle, relying on their expertise in urban design, site planning, and architecture for friendly, community based development that integrates seamlessly into Maine towns and cities. From everyone at Principle, we wish Kara the best and look forward to working with her in this new capacity.

Need Some Complete Streets Inspo? Find us @Curbless_Streets

Boston, MA — Principle has teamed up with Street Plans to deliver the holy grail of inspiration for curbless streets from around the globe. Follow us and tag your favorite locations >> @curbless_streets on Instagram. Let us know your experiences on these types of streets! Do you recognize any spots? Do you have any favorite curbless streets from around the world, or in your neighborhood? Let’s discuss!

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@Curbless_Streets

Can You Imagine: Parks Over the Pike in Newton - Boston Globe

Newton, MA — Boston Globe features story about vision to “deck over” the pike in Newton, MA as part of the ongoing Washington Street Vision Plan & Code project.

In Newton, a walk through the park could one day mean a hike over the Massachusetts Turnpike, as city officials consider a proposal to build public parks on decks spanning the highway.

For more information on the Washington Street Vision Plan & Code, see the city’s website: www.newtonma.gov/washingtonstreetvision. To read the Boston Globe article, click the link below.

READ ARTICLE:

Can You Imagine: Parks Over the Pike in Newton | Boston Globe, March 15, 2019

Open Comment Period on First Draft for Newton's Washington Street Vision Plan Underway

Newton, MA — Open comment period for the first draft of the Washington Street Vision Plan in Newton, MA is underway: residents can read and comment directly on the document online and in-person throughout the City. For more information, read about the project at www.newtonma.gov/washingtonstreetvision!