VIRTUAL London.

Abstract

Historic Middletown, CT is made up of 50,000 residents and is located along the Connecticut River. Once a thriving maritime harbor, the urban center today is run down, supporting local offices and shops. Graduate architecture students were positioned to consider interventions that would develop, expand, and enhance the opportunities embodied in the town’s ideal location. Reviewing tenants of “True Urbanism” and the “10-Minute Neighborhood design,” the students developed proposals that address future residential and urban needs. The goal is to create a more sustainable and ecologically enhanced living environment by 2035. While several antique buildings have been redesigned to accommodate apartments and condominiums within the city’s historic district; there remains a shortage of housing for local residents looking to live downtown. Many residents seek to live a “car-free” or a “car-less” lifestyle. The addition of neighborhood amenities such as religious/community centers, urban parks, and farmers’ markets, along with an increase in retail, entertainment, and restaurant amenities are needed to service the new downtown residential district. The planning intervention proposes a combination of high-rise towers, a new city hall, a new town square, an ecological wetlands park, an environmental museum, and a redeveloped riverfront activity park. Additionally, a new mass transportation system seeks to connect the inner-city development with outlying residential neighborhoods and nearby towns. However, it is also necessary to bridge a major highway to achieve the desired reconnection between the town and the river. While far-reaching in their proposition, the Middletown 2035 plan envisions a new more sustainable way of life for Connecticut residents.