Project Summary

The 2002 University of Rhode Island Community Planning Masters Studio Project is a revitalization plan for the neighborhood surrounding South Providence Development Corporation's business incubator at 17 Gordon Avenue. A significant component of the plan involves the "Federated Lithographers" site, an industrial complex located on 3.5 acres at 369 Prairie Avenue, directly across the street from the business incubator. SPDC and URI collaborated on this project to highlight potential revitalization options that will build on the momentum created by the incubator in enhancing the value of place and encouraging the creation of a core of sustainability in South Providence, Rhode Island.

The project focuses on a section of South Providence that includes the Federated Lithographers building, a large industrial structure on a 3.5 acre city block bounded by Prairie, Saratoga, Gordon and Potters Avenues in South Providence, Rhode Island. The South Providence Development Corporation (SPDC) is currently developing an environmental business incubator in a formerly abandoned industrial building located at 17 Gordon Avenue, directly west of the Federated Lithographers property. SPDC and URI collaborated to explore real opportunities for development that will increase the marketability of the incubator and enhance the sustainability and value of the entire neighborhood. This report is a direct result of this collaboration.

The South Providence neighborhood possesses physical and social assets that have the potential to form the nucleus of the entire neighborhood's revitalization. While there are numerous challenges, the opportunity and the potential certainly exist. The 369 Prairie Avenue site represents the real opportunity to start bringing assets together to create something of sustaining value that will enhance economic, environmental and social characteristics of the neighborhood. If diversity is encouraged in every aspect of development, including diversity of uses of the site, diversity of incomes in the neighborhood, and diversity of environmental features preserved and enhanced, the Federated Lithographers site can become a core of sustainability and an inspirational example of positive community development.

Award Justification

A group of advanced graduate students in community planning at URI worked with Professors Howard Foster and Daniel Varin to address issues brought to the table by Joe Newsome and the South Providence Development Corporation. The class took on a multifaceted urban development problem. The area known as Upper South Providence is under pressure from expanding institutional uses and the blighting effects of a vacant industrial building in the center of the project area. This studio project is a follow up to the previous year's award winning "Providence 2020" project by addressing a particular district identified in the earlier study. This continuity of jurisdiction makes this student planning project unique in terms of the URI advanced studio program.

During the fall semester of 2002, a class of 8 students applied a variety of planning principles and concepts to the problem of reuse that would address neighborhood needs. Two current concepts in planning practice were applied to the problem: place-based economic development and sustainable development practices.

The product of this planning effort included real estate analyses, transportation assessments, environmental scans, development options, implementation and funding opportunities. This project represents a full application of the planner's toolbox in terms of urban development planning and practice. The South Providence Development Corporation is using the study as a base to promote its green business incubator and the reuse of the Federated Lithographers building as well as planning for future mixed-use neighborhood