In 2050, Downtown Sudbury will be...
... a hub of eco-tech and bio-tech innovation
... a leader in innovative forestry and wood engineering
... a vibrant blend of historic fabric and contemporary construction
... a nationally recognized center for arts and making
... a denser downtown with a wide range of housing options and prices
... a walkable green city
... Net-positive
These Seven Goals define DtSb 2050, a 30-year plan designed to maximize Sudbury's natural and cultural resources and the city's work over the pas 50 years to revitalize the regional ecosystem.
Involving the Community.
Community input will be solicited by means of GPS-based apps and through in-person programming of forums and regular events. The 30-year plan kicks off with the longplanned dismantling of the Inco Superstack, at once a symbol of an ecologically obsolete past and an icon of Sudbury's history. DtSb will partner with local muralists to give each dismantled piece of the stack a unique identity. These pieces will be deployed around the city as touchpoints for forums, town-hall-style meetings, and other community events. The DtSb app interface allows users to walk around town and immediately access information about and comment on historic buildings or proposals for future development.
Becoming a Tech Hub.
Sudbury is home to significant innovation in mining and medicine, and increasingly in building construction, with the recent addition of the McEwen School. To encourage continued tech sector growth, an Incubator and Convention Center is proposed on the south end of the decommissioned railyard. As an alternative to a traditional office park, reused rail cars provide three offices each, allowing variable density and distancing, anticipating changes in office culture post-Covid. The convention center is organized similarly to a train station, with a canopy loosely organizing the incubator cars.
Relocating the Arena.
Another major ground-up project is the new Arena, located in the northwest railyard. The Arena's structure--a large concrete span with long-span large-scale timber ribs--follows the lines of the existing rails, celebrating the city's industrial past. The Arena is close to town center, so that events are easily accessible to downtown residents and boost the downtown economy.
Anticipating Public Cars.
By 2050, decreased use of private cars will facilitate the densification of DtSb. To allow densification to proceed before and during this transition, a large public parking garage is proposed northeast of the Arena. Alongside incentives for new construction in DtSb, the addition of 2000 parking spots will encourage private property owners in DtSb to build housing and other small-scale developments. The new garage is designed with flexibility in mind; once private parking is no longer a concern, the building will provide the infrastructure for a second tech park. A local rail shuttle transports passengers between the northwest yard and the south yard.
Building Creative Interventions.
Cutting-edge construction technologies and materials are proposed alongside historic buildings like the Old City Hall and the Coulson Hotel. Incentive programs provide tax exemptions and partial funding to encourage property owners to add levels on to existing buildings, to provide more smallscale housing and office space downtown.
Investing in Large-Scale Timber.
With the abundance of forests, cross-laminated hardwood can be sourced and manufactured nearby, cutting down on transportation and providing greater strength than standard CLT. Significant mass timber structures are proposed throughout downtown, making downtown Sudbury itself a showcase for the region's timber industry and innovations.
Embracing a Circular Economy.
DtSb promotes the use of new and experimental sustainable materials, including biodegradable materials and materials produced from industrial and farm waste, including ashcrete, green leaf bricks, soybean adhesive, maize cob board, potato cork board, corn husk veneers, and bioplastic. Such materials are not always easy to incorporate efficiently into ground-up construction but are well suited to renovations, where the existing building stock provides structure and more ephemeral materials can be used for supplementary insulation, interior partitioning, or finishes. DtSb will consult with local material research startups, with the McEwen School, and with Ojibwe elders and other constituents about the role of the circular economy in the Ojibwe ethos of bimaadiziwin.
Achieving Net-Positivity.
Alongside sustainable construction practices and reuse of existing buildings with robust new bio-insulation, the two main strategies to be deployed immediately to move towards net-positivity are tax-incentivized widescale deployment of solar panels and implementation of biomass energy at nearby farms.
Rethinking Retail.
In a process accelerated by the pandemic, the demand for physical retail will likely continue to shift towards small-scale boutiques and experience shopping. DtSb proposes redevelopment of the Rainbow Centre for this new retail landscape. The office tower and existing hotel are retained, while the large mass that once accommodated parking, cubicle-style office floors, and big-box shopping is subdivided into: an arcade-style mall with atrium (expanding the existing atrium), a large ground-level courtyard and elevated green courtyard both lined with storefronts, a tiered block of live-work apartments, and a free-standing cinema within the courtyard.
Providing a Range of Housing.
In addition to the live-work Rainbow Studios, a new mixed-use block in southeast DtSb provides 350 housing units of various sizes and affordability and a daycare to accommodate families. Partial funding and tax incentives for the development of private lots and additions onto privately owned buildings are designed to encourage the addition of privately owned rental units downtown.
Creating a World-Class Farmers' Market.
Adjacent to the new 350-unit block is an enclosed, year-round 'world market' selling local produce grown by farms of all sizes near Sudbury. This market will boost the local farming economy, provide affordable healthy food for the city's residents, and be a must-visit destination for visitors.
Greening the City.
Downtown Sudbury deserves a landscape that reflects the city's commitment to the environment and to robust standards of sustainability. A new 4.5-kilometer hike-and-bike trail circles the city, and Memorial Park is expanded by the greening of Tom Davies Square, the annexation of adjacent lots into the park, and the addition of a green roof on the nearby YMCA. Medina Lane is pedestrianized and a former parking lot devoted to a new Food Truck Park. The introduction of these green roofs in the city center paves the way for the addition of green roofs throughout the city, encouraged by tax incentives and partner programs with the McEwen School.
The Sudbury Railyards host a new arena, tech incubator park, conference center, and parking garage.
New public projects in DtSb provide housing and amenities for young professionals and families.
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