Urban Studies at a Jeff Speck Lecture

Dr. Conroy and Urban Studies students Abby Rickert, Ben Barter, and Alexa James attended a Central Mass Regional Planning Commission event this week entitled, "Walking Through the Past, Present, and Future with [Urban Planner] Jeff Speck." The event was to present recent developments associated with the Vernon Connected Project, and Speck was the keynote. While he presented conclusions from his writing -- the 4 core rules of creating walkable places -- he also talked about these principles might be used in Worcester.

The Vernon Connected Project, in fact, which is being done by Speck's firm (Speck-Dempsey), seeks to apply principles of a walkable city to the Vernon Sr. corridor and bridge that leads into Kelley Square. As it notes on a website, it is pursuing a "reimagined interchange designed for connecting; where a dividing highway is now transformed into a unifying corridor; where community art, reduced noise pollution, and sustainable and innovative design meet; where walking, cycling, youth-friendly spaces, and affordable access to resources are encouraged; and where shared public spaces celebrate culture, nature, and local pride ensuring no neighborhood is left behind."

Members of the community can leave their comments and ideas about project in an online survey at https://tinyurl.com/vernonconnected.

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Results of the 28th Manhattan Short Film Festival votes worldwide and at WSU

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