Somerville, NJ (November 23, 2022) – In an effort to collect public input regarding the future of downtown Somerville’s streetscape, the Downtown Somerville Alliance (DSA) will be hosting an open house together with Arterial Streets at Alfonso’s Trattoria on Main St., Thursday, December 8, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.
The DSA contracted with Arterial Streets, an urban design studio, earlier this year to create a capital plan that will lead to a complete overhaul and improvement of the district’s streets, sidewalks, lighting, amenities, and landscaping.
“A plan of this kind has not been created since the early days of the district management corporation,” said Natalie Pineiro, Downtown Manager of the DSA. “We’re excited to be engaging all of our stakeholders in the process of creating a proactive plan that will help us to continue to enhance the downtown Somerville experience.”
Arterial is an award-winning street design studio comprised of designers, planners, and creators. Their mission is to create pedestrian-centric spaces that encourage social interaction, connectivity, and economic vitality.
“With the increase in pedestrian traffic to downtown Somerville, and the movement seen across the country towards more flexible and walkable streets, we recognize the need for our streets to move along the continuum from being more transit or mobility oriented to place and pedestrian oriented,” said Pineiro.
The Capital Plan is the first step in updating the streetscape. Pineiro commented that this is a longterm project that will likely take two or more years until shovels are in the ground, but the DSA hopes to incorporate placemaking and sidewalk safety initiatives that – upon completion – will benefit business owners, property owners, and patron alike.
The open house is open to all members of the public. Participants do not need to plan on attending for the entire two-hour duration. The event will feature several hands-on exercises and data collection prompts and will happen on a rolling basis. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact the Downtown Somerville Alliance at 908-524-1014 or via email at downtownsomervillealliance @gmail.com.
