Utile and Principle Group’s Union Square Neighborhood Plan was Awarded the CNU New England Urbanism Award for 2016, a program that celebrates “outstanding design, development, and policy achievements in New England.” The year-long project, completed for the City of Somerville, underwent an extensive community outreach and planning process to help frame the future growth of Union Square, from the public realm design to large scale development opportunities in the adjacent industrial district, Boynton Yards. The “Somerville by Design” planning process involved 14 public meetings, ranging from crowdsourcing events to multiday design charrettes, with a targeted focus on community consensus.
The resulting Union Square Neighborhood Plan, adopted in May 2016, establishes a vision for how to create 6.8 million square feet of new development, the creation of 12.32 acres of new public space, and 2,349 new mixed income housing units.
