Revitalizing an urban corridor and neighborhood
The “Love the Ave” CNU Legacy Project presents a revitalization strategy for the Acushnet Avenue corridor and North End neighborhood in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Developed through the Congress for the New Urbanism’s Legacy Project, the report outlines a vision to transform the area into a vibrant, walkable, and community-oriented destination. The project builds on existing planning efforts and focuses on activating vacant parcels, improving access to the business community and Riverside Park, and implementing short-term, low-cost interventions to catalyze long-term change.
Community engagement played a central role in shaping the plan. Through workshops and public input, residents expressed a strong desire for safer, cleaner streets, better pedestrian infrastructure, and more opportunities to celebrate local culture and support small businesses. The report identifies four key focus areas—Acushnet Avenue, Belleville Avenue, Coffin Avenue, and Nye Street—each with tailored design strategies to enhance connectivity, safety, and economic vitality.
Legacy Projects leverage CNU’s planning and design expertise to impact the host region for the annual Congress in the long term. Love the Ave was led by planning and urban design firms Arup and Street Plans, working with the New Bedford Department of City Planning, Love the Ave Partnership, Groundworks Southcoast, Verdean Association of New Bedford, and Southcoast Community Foundation. Love the Ave will be fully presented at CNU 33 in Providence in June.
The proposed North End interventions include improved lighting, wayfinding, greenery, and amenities like parklets and bus shelters. A phased implementation strategy is critical for realizing change and a revitalized main street environment, starting with tactical urbanism-style interventions and progressing to more permanent infrastructure upgrades and infill development. The plan emphasizes aligning community priorities with feasible timelines and funding opportunities, aiming to create a more inclusive and thriving corridor for all residents.
The report offers significant benefits for the Acushnet Avenue community and the broader New Bedford area through a phased implementation strategy that addresses both immediate needs and long-term transformation. In the short term, projects that could result in immediate benefits for residents, patrons, and business owners could look like safe and clean parklets, tactical “Quick-Build” street safety interventions, and temporary public space activations, all of which can quickly enhance safety, walkability, and community pride. These low-cost, high-impact interventions are designed to build momentum and demonstrate the potential of more permanent changes.
In the medium term, the plan focuses on infrastructure upgrades, support for local businesses, and improved connectivity to key community pillars like Riverside Park and the Acushnet Avenue. These efforts aim to strengthen the local economy, foster social cohesion, and create a more inviting environment for residents and visitors alike.
Over the long term, the report envisions transformative changes such as infill development, streetscape redesigns, and the potential establishment of a cohesive and strategically comprised business improvement district (BID). These initiatives are intended to ensure sustained investment, equitable growth, and a resilient urban fabric that reflects the community’s identity and aspirations. Together, these phased actions provide a roadmap for revitalizing Acushnet Avenue into a thriving, inclusive corridor that benefits New Bedford’s North End neighborhood.
