Special to the Journal
On Wednesday, July 13th, the City of Revere and the Urban Land Institute will be cohosting an urban planning workshop focused on Squire Road and its capacity to accommodate multimodal access to activate and connect mixed uses along the corridor.
Squire Road (Route 60) in Revere is a major arterial that serves as a critical connection for commuters traveling to and from Revere from Route 1, Route 16, and Route 107. The commercial corridor is an important economic pipeline to Revere’s local economy and workforce, with some of the City’s largest employers located on the corridor. Directly abutting residential neighborhoods and serving as a connection for thousands of regional commuters, there is endless opportunity to develop Squire Road in ways to improve traffic patterns and strategically plan commercial and workforce opportunities.
“Squire Road has long-needed a strategic plan to accommodate the city’s growth,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “Looking at this business district from another lens is necessary to move this city forward and we’re grateful for Urban Land Institute’s help on this project.”
City planners have identified development opportunities along the Squire Road corridor, including vacant, developable lots, green space opportunities, job-generating development; local and regional transportation improvements; and opportunities for enhanced urban design with the potential to both improve neighborhood access and enhance multimodal connectivity for commuters and pedestrians.
Deliverables of the One-Day Planning Workshop Will:
• Identify opportunities to enhance the area’s diversification of housing, retail and trade offerings; as well as outline clear urban design goals that reimagine the corridor’s identity as a candidate for smart growth that complements abutting neighborhoods.
• Review existing zoning of the corridor related to applicability of better land use planning for Squire Road to position it for development opportunities that would transform it into an attractive and accessible mixed-use corridor.
• Improve infrastructure of the roadway for residents walking and biking to and from the area to safely connect to shopping, jobs, recreational facilities and the Northern Strand Community Path.
• Enhance transit access by adding additional bus stops for bus routes that travel to and through the corridor.
• Recommend initial “quick wins” and programmatic/funding strategies to generate momentum for follow-on planning efforts.
The Urban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel assembles one day workshops of 6-12 panel members with expertise in real estate development, investments, urban design and engineering to communities looking to improve commercial areas. Participants can email [email protected] to participate in the 11:00 am workshop, followed by a presentation that night at 7:00 p.m. for public and city officials. For more information about this planning initiative please visit the City of Revere’s Department of Planning & Community Development page at www.revere.org.