Downtown Hartford Economic and Urban Design Action Strategy
Hartford
The Hartford Downtown Council in partnership with the Connecticut Capital Region Growth Council and the City of Hartford, retained Ken Greenberg (then a Partner in Urban Strategies) to prepare an action strategy to shape the next wave of downtown development and link it to what was occurring in the City's neighborhoods. After several tumultuous decades that saw unprecedented economic shocks, ongoing and targeted development initiatives had emerged which had the potential to remake Downtown Hartford as a regional and arts and entertainment destination and home to a thriving residential population. Taking a holistic approach to revitalization, the Action Strategy produced in 1998 encourages small and medium scale projects with the potential to create synergies across the downtown and repair the city's historic fabric. The Strategy identified a band of opportunity around Bushnell Park, called the Circuit Line, where public and private initiatives woven together would have a dramatic effect on the image and the environment of the downtown. Hartford has taken significant steps to implement this vision. Ken Greenberg has continued to consult with the Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA) and the City on the ongoing implementation of the Action Strategy.
A centerpiece of this effort has been the Learning Corridor, a $100 million educational campus immediately east of the College and now in operation. The Learning Corridor contains an Inter-District Montessori School and Family Resource Center, a Neighborhood Public Middle School, a Math, Science and Technology Magnet High School Resource Center, the Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts, the Aetna Center for Families and a parking garage with ground level retail stores. The Master Plan integrated the educational campus with the surrounding community and positioned it as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. The Learning Corridor: Southside Institutions Neighbourhood Alliance Plan was the recipient of the 2000 American Planning Association Outstanding Planning Award for a Special Community Initiative.