Sudbury Center - Growing the Forest City
The City of Sudbury sits within a vast expanses of nature. Located on the edge of the eastern and boreal forests, Sudbury is defined by its adjacency to BIG NATURE: A region that is infamous for its forests, lakes, wildlife and dramatic seasonal transitions. Its inhabitants are equally well known for their embrace of the regions wilderness, including the celebration of the long and dark winters, taking up skating, skiing, ice fishing and celebrating the occasional spotting of the Aurora Borealis. Big Nature defines the population of Sudbury, at all times throughout the year.
Additionally, Sudbury has been a pioneer in a different kind of nature, a manufactured nature brought about by the need to heal the scars of civilizations need for natural resources. The nickel mining process has scarred vast areas of land, requiring reclamation. The City of Sudbury is a leading industry figure in revegetation and reforestation methods, and is an example to the world in this industry.
However, while the city is intimately familiar with its context within the natural environment, as well as its ability to create new natural environments in areas once scared, we ask where are the opportunities to further embrace this BIG NATURE, and look to its qualities to inform how to re-define the City of
Sudbury in the next 30 years and beyond.
To experience Sudbury today, one would not get an immediate sense that the city uniquely sits within a region of such significant beauty. A fluctuating boom and bust economy tied to the mining industry has left the downtown a patchwork of seemingly ad-hoc buildings, developments, vacancies and spaces between, relics of periods of economic vitality and decay. The downtown is seemingly placeless today, detached from its unique setting within the region, and ironically devoid of vegetation and tree canopy. The city and community of course recognize this, and are beginning to take a series of actions to redefine the future of the downtown of Sudbury. Catalyst projects such as the McEwen School of Architecture, Place des Arts, The Art Center and Convention Complex are tremendous anchors for this new future. And with the goal to introduce 20,000 new residents into the downtown core, the potential for an economically resilient and thriving city center is very real.
SUDBURY CENTER - GROWING A FOREST CITY
To help achieve the goals of the communities desires to date, and help champion growth into the next 30 years, we propose a framework that embraces Sudbury s unique location in the world, and embraces and defines Sudbury as the worlds premier Forest City.
In order to grow a Forest City, you have to plant a seed, sometimes literally:
Phase 1
Materials Manufacturing - A long term strategy
While the process of mining has left scars on the land, there is opportunity in working with the mining industry to help usher Sudbury forward as a true forest city. Piggybacking on the already infamous revegetation strategies in the region, we propose a new kind of reforestation, one that secures a sustainable construction material for decades to come. Dedicating areas of reforestation to the production of lumber for mass timber construction secures a regional supply of construction material for future development within the city.
Additionally, and in partnership with the McEwen School of Architecture, there are opportunities for exploration of materials re-use from mining process, including emerging technologies in the use of mining waste aggregates in the use of brick unit construction. Between materials waste and revegetation technologies, the mine could be envisioned as a factory for the future sustainable growth of Sudbury.
Connectivity and Mobility
Early phase work can provide more meaningful connections to get to and from downtown, utilizing existing corridors for bikes and pedestrians, as well as improving the pedestrian environment downtown. Utilizing the rail and creek corridors, we propose a network of bike and pedestrian paths that connect population centers within Sudbury to the downtown. Safe and well lit paths invite people to bike as weather permits. Additionally in the winter, skiing and skating are encouraged, with seasonal lighting transforming a commute into a transcending experience.
Within the street grid of downtown, we propose to give the street back to the pedestrian and user, providing fo more sidewalk space, cafe zones, and dense groves of trees that provide shade and filter stormwater.
To accomplish this we propose:
1. To change all streets to two way traffic as a means of traffic calming
2. Eliminate on street parking on the east/west streets in order to increase pedestrian zones widths
3. Provide parking in the existing lanes as well initiate a comprehensive strategy for district parking in the form of new garages, freestanding or attached to future developments.
Additionally, and immediate win would be to bring the VIA rail station back to the downtown, in an interim temporary station building. The activity and visibility as users pass through offer glimpses of the evolution of the city, and will encourage would be through travelers to stop.
Phase 2
In concurrence with these mobility projects, the heart of the city is a candidate for more immediate development improvement as other lands transition for available for development. Incentivzation will be placed on projects that utilize existing structures for adaptive re-use. Additionally, existing surface parking lots are top candidates for immediate infill. A civic and community needs input process will identify possible uses such as housing, community services, appropriate commercial uses and desired amenities.
These 'skinny' development lot sizes will encourage a wide diversity of uses throughout the core of the downtown, growing organically over time, as opposed to large development projects with limited diversity of uses.
Phase 3
Over time, the existing rail yards will be phased out and relocated, opening up significant amounts of land that will double the area of the downtown as it stands today. These catalyst sites offer different opportunities then the city center for development, and opportunities to fill in the 'hole' left by the rail yards and reconnect the city.
A priority site is what we refer to as Sudbury Station. This district becomes home to a signature central train station and hotel, improved bus transit cen¬ter, mixed use developments, and most critically, becomes the location of the Sudbury Arena. This district becomes a new heart for the city, not only for events but day-to-day life. Additionally it is the gateway for visitors to the city.
As part of this phase, we see the opportunity for the development of the heart of the community, a signature urban civic park. A a large urban park space for use by all in the community, providing places for gathering, events, performances, viewing nature and the surrounding city, play areas, sports facilities and many other yet unknown uses to be determined through civic engagement
The southern rail yard is an additional catalyst site, anchored by the existing train depot and market, as well as the new arts complex and convention center. Envisioned a thriving residential neighborhood with medium to high density residential uses, including senior housing, affordable housing and additional housing types as community needs evolve over time. Located in the closest proximity within the downtown to the lake, the residents have access to great views and easy access to both the new park and the lakefront.
Phase 3
The final catalyst site is proposed where the current Rainbow Center Mall sits. As the mall is phased out and business within find new opportunities to relocate within the evolving city, future uses for the site will be determined based on need and market capacity. Called NEST, for North of Elm Street, this large parcel of land could take on a variety of uses to be determined in the future. Conceived as a campus, or a development within a park, one possible scenario is a large higher education user, or corporate office user. Or many smaller organizations on one campus. As the city evolves the needs will become more apparent as the mall reaches the end of its lifespan.
(From competitor's text)
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