• Three Visualizations
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• Good and Bad Examples
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...the Commission recognizes that our region is facing significant growth, poor air quality, environmental impacts and loss of farmlands...

Three Visualizations

Commercial Village, Route 9 Hadley
This visualization looked at the possibility of transforming the existing large commercial center on Route 9 in Hadley into the main commercial and civic center of the community. Traffic is slowed down along Route 9 by creating a boulevard design, with on street parking. Mixed use development, with first floor commercial and second and third story residential, is located along Route 9, to bring a more pedestrian scale to the area. Green roofs, pocket parks, and open space is available to pedestrians walking along the main street. Mountain Farms Mall and the Hampshire Mall remain, but are connected by a pedestrian foot bridge over South Maple Street. Town Hall and a new town green are also incorporated into the design.

• Existing Conditions
• Visualizations

Mixed Use Development, Easthampton
Throughout the Pioneer Valley, there is the opportunity for communities to retrofit existing commercial or shopping centers into vibrant, mixed use developments that could provide for pedestrian-friendly "Main Street" shopping districts with many attractive amenities.

This visualization is for an existing commercial strip mall in downtown Easthampton. The purpose of this visualization was to explore how the streetscape of Union Street could change by bringing the building up to the street, provide parking in the back, and add two stories of residential apartments above the first-floor shops.

• Existing Conditions
• Visualizations

Traditional Neighborhood Village
Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) is an approach to designing cities, towns, and neighborhoods that encourages a reduction in traffic by offering commercial, civic, and open space opportunities within easy walking distance. TND replicate the appealing features of historic neighborhoods in new development close to existing centers by promoting more compact development and providing a variety of housing types and mixed uses.

This visualization is for an existing vacant parcel here in the Pioneer Valley. The surrounding neighborhood is a mix of single family homes and duplexes, located on small lots, and within walking distance to downtown. The total acreage for the parcel is slightly less than 12 acres. The visualization shows 54 single family units could be built on eight acres, with the remaining four acres adjacent to a significant stream would protected as open space.

• Visualizations