OUR MISSION

University of Massachusetts (UMass) Urban Places Project (UPP) Urban Laboratory is a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and the communities, neighborhoods, and people of the City of Springfield. UPP is an outreach program designed to take advantage of the existing links between teachers, students, professionals, municipalities, and the residents and to encourage ongoing exchange of ideas and information.

Its Mission is to provide multidisciplinary planning and design assistance on an as need basis. Through community interaction, UPP is able to provide technical services, aid in citizen participation and decision-making, and suggest planning strategies and design recommendations. It has the resources to follow a project from concept to completion, to monitor the completed project, and to evaluate its success. Both long and short-term problems and solutions can be addressed and explored. UPP can provide services that many communities would be otherwise unable to access.

UMass UPP Urban Laboratory aims to educate and explore on many levels. Through hands on experience students learn the communication and organization skills necessary to manage ongoing projects. Teachers gain valuable research information to better make decisions and guide future projects. Communities learn the analytical and design process needed to have a successful outcome to their goals.

WHY SPRINGFIELD?

Springfield, the largest city in western Massachusetts, provides a number of opportunities including:

• A broad scope of Projects with an urban focus,
• A range and diversity of issues,
• A rich choice of settings available for study and for hands on experience.
• A long working relationship with the City's Office of Community Development

OUR HISTORY WITH SPRINGFIELD

Over the past five years, the Urban Places Project (UPP) headed by professor Henry Lu has assisted the City in its urban design and planning projects through design studios and graduate student projects. The UPP has worked with the City of Springfield on design and concept development for the Springfield Waterfront, the Civic Center, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the South End, and Mason Square. Because of this long history of collaboration, and an eagerness to work with the community to develop stimulating and relevant ideas, the City of Springfield in partnership with the Springfield Business Development Corporation, led Professor Henry Lu to develop a more permanent partnership through creation of the UMass UPP Urban Laboratory in Springfield.

COMMITMENT TO THE URBAN LABORATORY

The City of Springfield has shown its commitment to the Urban Laboratory by contributing cash and in kind support to kick start the initiative. Office space and supporting material has been provided in kind by the City. The laboratory is located in Springfield's City Hall, 36 Court Street in the Office of Community Development. Its location provides key access to other city departments and decision makers. The office will be equipped with desks, computers and software, drafting tables, phones, and other materials for students to work on site. This contribution will allow the department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning to offer two urban design and planning studios to help the City in its urban design and planning needs during the next academic year. With support from the City of Springfield and a Public Service Endowment Grant, the UMass UPP Urban Laboratory will be able to help the City further develop the design and planning results from the studios. It will also enable the City to broaden the scope of reach to its various neighborhoods.