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Reuse Plans for Boston’s Navy Yards and Military Bases: “Balanced Growth Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions,” Boston, United States, 1993-1996

Abstract

Between 1993 and 2008, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit, later I2UD) compiled three urban planning reports for the reuse of decommissioned military bases and historic navy shipyards in Boston and other areas of Massachusetts in the United States.

The first report, “Balanced Growth Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions” (1993), was a Technical Assistance and Research and Evaluation led by François Vigier, from the Unit, and Victor W. Karen, from the City of Boston’s planning agency. The undertaking was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). The EDA in turn supported the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to assist communities through the military base decommissioning process and transition to civilian life.

The report presented urban planning approaches to harness the potential social and economic reuse of U.S. military bases scheduled for closure. Forts included:

  • Fort Devens, MA, an army base in a rural setting (c. 1996);
  • Charleston Navy Yard, SC, a navy facility in an urban setting; and
  • Lowry Air Force Base, CO, an air force installation in a suburban setting.

Local professionals were consulted for the study, including leading educators and urban planning experts in the Boston area from the mid-1990s, including Robert W. Rush, James English, Paul Van Dien Davis, William Poorvu, and Alan Altshuler.

The second report, “Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions ” (1996), was authored by the Unit team, led by Vigier and Edward Robbins (Lecturer in Urban Design). Documents include an Executive Report, a Summary Report, and Main report. The strategy addressed four points of value in the specific case of Boston’s base zones: historic value, regional economic trends, investment for economic growth, and the centralization of a community input process in the formulation of a closure strategy for Boston’s bases. Overall, this pair of reports are excellent models of the Unit’s early style of professional urban planning.

The third report, “A Case Study of Fort Devens: The Transition to Civilian Use” (2008), authored by I2UD research associate Erick Guerra, expanded on the previous reports and provided an updated examination of the reuse plans for the former military base in rural Massachusetts, highlighting the cooperation as well as competing interests amongst stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels in converting the land to civilian use.

See also: The Redevelopment of Charleston Navy Yard, Boston Case Study, 2001 (Project ID: 2001_03_001).

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Project Year1993-1996
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:United States
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Victor W. Karen; Edward Robbin; Robert W. Rush; James English; Paul Van Dien Davis
Sponsors:U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)
Categories:Urban Finance
  
ID:1996_12_001

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“City of Szczecin Capital Improvement Program,” Case Studies for Technical Assistance Program, Szczecin, Poland, 1996

Abstract

In 1996, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design collaborated with the Local Economic Professionals Association (Szczecin, Poland) to prepare capital improvement program for the city of Szczecin, Poland.

The program emphasized linking land management strategies to the provision and financing of infrastructure. The development of public/private partnership identified in the strategy documents included methods of packaging projects in order to build rehabilitation and neighborhood improvements.

This technical assistance project was later used to prepare a teaching case for an Executive Seminar on Urban Planning and Local Economic Development taught in Iasi, Romania on March 20-23, 2001, organized by the Unit in association with the Research Triangle Institute, and as part of the USAID Local Government Assistance Program. Documents include case studies and 5 tables containing detailed outlines of strategic goals.


[Excerpt: The Capital Improvement Program, City of Szczecin: (Case Study), page 7]

“Supportive Policies and Strategies: A series of strategy documents within key development sectors were produced and used as a guide for the development of the capital investment plan. These include:

  • A renovation strategy for commercial and residential buildings in city center;
  • A housing policy for the entire city.
  • Master Plan for central heating;
  • Master Plan for waste management;
  • Master Plan for water supply and sewage management.

“Other reports and studies pertaining to the Capital Investment Program (CIP) included transport studies for Szczecin and an analysis of the city’s regional and macro-regional functions and responsibilities. The reports have generated a valuable database outlining the range of investment requirements in individual sectors. These reports also formed the basis for a more extensive review of the Conditions and Directions Of Urban Planning for The City of Szczecin and a City Development Strategy.

“These reports identified investment priorities that would promote balanced development for the city. The most important of them will be the specifications of investment projects graded according to their priority. Together, these Strategies and Master Plans provide analysis of effective sectoral management methods for the city.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1996
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Szczecin, Poland
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Local Economic Professionals Association (Szczecin, Poland); Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1996_06_002

Related I2UD Projects