Welcome to Adobe GoLive 6

Springfield, the largest city in Western Massachusetts, provides a valuable opportunity for UMass students to experience a broad scope of projects with an urban focus. The range and diversity of issues offer a rich choice of settings available for study and offers a unique opportunity for hands on experience. 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 development for the Springfield Waterfront, the Civic Center, the Hall of Fame, the South End, Mason Square and others.

Seniors and Graduate students participate in a seven-week introduction to Urban Design studio. Director of the UMass UPP Urban Laboratory in Springfield, Professor Henry Lu, teaches the studio in conjunction with the City of Springfield and often Springfield Neighborhood Councils.

Below are brief descriptions of some of the recent studio projects. Click on each heading for additional information and images.

In the spring of 2003, the graduate urban design studio will continue the work on Mason Square including the four adjacent neighborhoods, McKnight, Bay, Old Hill, and Upper Hill.

MCKNIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD - FALL 2002 The topic for the McKnight Neighborhood senior undergraduate (BSLA) studio is Bay Street Corridor; Opportunities for the 21st Century. The McKnight Neighborhood Council identified the Bay Street Corridor of Springfield as a focus of concern. Bay Street bisects the neighborhood and is a gateway into the community to the east and to the west. This project was designed to assist the McKnight Neighborhood Council to improve an urban residential area by developing a plan for the properties along Bay Street.

MASON SQUARE - SPRING 2002 This studio is one of three studios that address the needs of the Mason Square area of Springfield including the four adjacent neighborhoods, McKnight, Bay, Old Hill, and Upper Hill. Last year, in the spring of 2002, the graduate urban design studio in collaboration with the City of Springfield focused on the revitalization of Mason Square, the birthplace of basketball. The students met closely with city officials and community associations in Mason Square. The intention of the studio was to devise a master plan for Mason Square so that it might emulate Springfield's recent downtown revitalization projects.

SOUTH END - SPRING 2000 The Sough End is the smallest of 17 neighborhoods in Springfield. The neighborhood has several strengths including the fact that it is ethnically diverse, has strong family ties and long-standing family-owned businesses that attract visitors from both the city and neighborhood regions. It has undergone several phases of a city sponsored urban renewal plan. Remaining concerns of the citizens were identified and compiled into a list of goals for another project.

PUBLIC MARKET - SPRING 1999 This undergraduate senior Urban Design Studio focused on revitalizing Springfield. The concept for this studio involved using a public market to to bring new life to downtown Springfield while promoting small food, agricultural businesses, job development, and social activity in Western Mass.

SPRINGFIELD WATERFRONT - SPRING 1998 This senior undergraduate project is designed to assist the City of Springfield to improve an urban business area by developing a plan for the properties along the waterfront.

PROJECTS Springfield, the largest city in Western Massachusetts, provides a valuable opportunity for UMass students to experience a broad scope of projects with an urban focus. The range and diversity of issues offer a rich choice of settings available for study and offers a unique opportunity for hands on experience. 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 development for the Springfield Waterfront, the Civic Center, the Hall of Fame, the South End, Mason Square and others. Seniors and Graduate students participate in a seven-week introduction to Urban Design studio. Director of the UMass UPP Urban Laboratory in Springfield, Professor Henry Lu, teaches the studio in conjunction with the City of Springfield and often Springfield Neighborhood Councils. Below are brief descriptions of some of the recent studio projects. Click on each heading for additional information and images. In the spring of 2003, the graduate urban design studio will continue the work on Mason Square including the four adjacent neighborhoods, McKnight, Bay, Old Hill, and Upper Hill. MCKNIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD - FALL 2002 The topic for the McKnight Neighborhood senior undergraduate (BSLA) studio is Bay Street Corridor; Opportunities for the 21st Century. The McKnight Neighborhood Council identified the Bay Street Corridor of Springfield as a focus of concern. Bay Street bisects the neighborhood and is a gateway into the community to the east and to the west. This project was designed to assist the McKnight Neighborhood Council to improve an urban residential area by developing a plan for the properties along Bay Street. MASON SQUARE - SPRING 2002 This studio is one of three studios that address the needs of the Mason Square area of Springfield including the four adjacent neighborhoods, McKnight, Bay, Old Hill, and Upper Hill. Last year, in the spring of 2002, the graduate urban design studio in collaboration with the City of Springfield focused on the revitalization of Mason Square, the birthplace of basketball. The students met closely with city officials and community associations in Mason Square. The intention of the studio was to devise a master plan for Mason Square so that it might emulate Springfield's recent downtown revitalization projects. SOUTH END - SPRING 2000 The Sough End is the smallest of 17 neighborhoods in Springfield. The neighborhood has several strengths including the fact that it is ethnically diverse, has strong family ties and long-standing family-owned businesses that attract visitors from both the city and neighborhood regions. It has undergone several phases of a city sponsored urban renewal plan. Remaining concerns of the citizens were identified and compiled into a list of goals for another project. PUBLIC MARKET - SPRING 1999 This undergraduate senior Urban Design Studio focused on revitalizing Springfield. The concept for this studio involved using a public market to to bring new life to downtown Springfield while promoting small food, agricultural businesses, job development, and social activity in Western Mass. SPRINGFIELD WATERFRONT - SPRING 1998 This senior undergraduate project is designed to assist the City of Springfield to improve an urban business area by developing a plan for the properties along the waterfront.





Click here to download a UPP Poster.