As noted in recent posts, I have been working on a project
which looks at the viability of using historic New England village centers as a
framework for supporting 21st rural development. The idea is that the village model can
be updated to support sustainable development in the countryside and to serve
as a counterweight to large-lot, exurban sprawl. I did some field visits recently and thought I would share
some highlights.
I have written about the Storrs Center “new town” project in
Mansfield CT a number of times, most recently when the town was officially
built out (here). The very short
version is that a new, village-like, mixed-use development has been built
across the street from the University of Connecticut campus in rural eastern
Connecticut. Now having had a
chance to revisit Storrs, I have to say that using my eyeballs and legs
confirmed what I had seen online.
It is a first-rate piece of urban design, with human-scale architecture,
a great mix of activities (including the only state puppet museum in the US!),
and a welcoming vibe. Storrs is a
great working model that I – and I’m sure others – will continue to follow
closely in the years to come.
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