Restored City

Newport, Rhode Island

1997

This was a counter-proposal to a problematic design being considered by the city of Newport that would have continued to bring the placelessness of sprawl into a traditional downtown. The counter-proposal establishes a a network of walk-able mixed-use streets that are punctuated by beautiful urban squares with monumental public buildings on them. Rather than locating all of the car traffic on one busy highway through the city, which divides and causes noise pollution, drivers are given many streets to provide a variety of routes to their destinations. This approach reduces congestion and promotes vitality throughout the city.

The above sketch represents a new commercial square, designed around an existing museum and including fountains, outdoor seating, and mixed-use buildings lining the edges. A series of meaningful and pedestrian-oriented squares are designed throughout the city to tie different parts of the city together and provide a navigable and walk-able city in which tourists and residents alike can happily stroll.