Shifting gears : redeveloping the downtown's cultural approach

Abstract

Downtowns of small cities and towns are often overlooked when thinking of cultural and gathering spaces. Unlike a large city that usually has a vibrant historical and cultural history represented by clustering of museums, theaters, and other gathering spaces, most small cities do not have these cultural centers because they do not have an influx of tourists and visitors. After the collapse of many mill industries in New England cities and towns people moved towards the suburbs, leaving behind Downtown areas, polluted rivers, and letting any remaining cultural or gathering spaces disappear. Using a site in Downtown Nashua New Hampshire that exists as a parking lot, a stitch was employed on the urban scale and a slit on the local scale to establish connections between a cultural program, site, urban fabric, and people, reversing a trend towards creating open lots along the river. The stitch is a cultural experience, a place that makes art and culture accessible to the public through a journey that connects the city back to its river.