Somerville by Design: Davis Square three-day interactive design event begins Monday

On September 6, 2013, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

Daytime and evening opportunities for public participation in shaping the future of Davis Square

The Streetscape Project continues its efforts to improve Davis Square. The next phase of the City of Somerville’s “Somerville by Design: Davis Square” community planning process will take place Monday to Wednesday, Sept. 9 through Sept. 11. An interactive three-day public charette (a collaborative design session) will give residents, the business community and other stakeholders convenient day and evening opportunities to work with city planners and outside experts to shape plans for Davis Square. This event will build on input from the Davis Square community at a public Crowdsourcing event held in May and two public Visioning Sessions held in July.

The design charrette will take place in Davis Square. A vacant storefront at 377 Summer St. (adjacent to the Rosebud diner) will be transformed into a design studio open to the public, with meeting spaces, working studios and gallery-style displays. The program will culminate in a public “Pin-Up Presentation” at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm St.

The detailed schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9
- Location: 377 Summer St. (vacant storefront next to Rosebud diner)
- 9 a.m.–8 p.m. – public Open Studios
- 11 a.m.–12 p.m. and 3–8 p.m. – public stakeholder sessions (descriptions available at www.somervillebydesign.com)

Tuesday, Sept. 10
- Location: 377 Summer St.
- 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. – public Open Studios
- 9 a.m. – 10 a.m., 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and 3:30–7:30 p.m. – public stakeholder sessions (descriptions available at www.somervillebydesign.com)

Wednesday, Sept. 11
- Location: Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm Street St. (next to Foundry)
- 7:30–9:30 p.m. – Pin-Up Presentation

Somerville by Design is a cutting-edge approach to community planning that uses resident know-how to solve challenging physical planning and urban design issues. It makes planning fun, using highly visual, interactive techniques such as “Open Studio” design sessions, neighborhood meetings, block walking and online surveys. Most important, it provides multiple ways for the public to get involved in gene rating and refining physical design plans for sites and neighborhoods that are driven by community member’s preferences and creative ideas. In 2012, hundreds of residents and businesspersons participated in the Somerville by Design “Station Area Planning Series” for Gilman Square, Lowell Street / Magoun Square, and Ball Square neighborhoods that will soon be served by the Green Line Extension.

Additional information is available on the City of Somerville website at www.somervillebydesign.com.