Healthy Hilltowns

“Healthy Living in the Hilltowns”

Sustainable Design Assistance Team - SDAT

Introductions – SDAT Team

Introductions

Process

Assets

Challenges

Six Key Themes

Food Resources / Access

Transportation / Mobility

Economic Opportunities

Housing Resources

Open Space / Recreation

Social / Connectivity

Food Resources

Food Resources

Assets•Local Production•Interests, Support•Beloved resources / “heirlooms”

Challenges•Accessibility

– Cost– Awareness – Availability

•Viability of Farming

Vision

An accessible regional food system rooted in community.

Food Resources

Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy:•Expand local food / farm awareness•Leverage key community spaces in activities that promote food production or distribution•Provide guidance on opportunities and regulations for food-related entrepreneurial activities

Leverage community facilities

Support food enterprises

Recommendations

Long Term:•Engage the region’s farmers in ongoing dialogue about business growth opportunities and desired support•Create a comprehensive regional farmland management and conservation strategy •Mitigate challenges and barriers to entry for prospective farmers

Food Resources

Support food enterprisesEvaluate mobile market potential

Identify HIP site

Long term strategy for agriculture infrastructure and stakeholders

Transportation

Transportation / Mobility

Assets•Scenic driving experience•High quality road network•Low volume traffic congestion•Sharing rides with neighbors

Challenges•No transit availability•Limited population to incentivize transit usage•Poor pedestrian amenities •Topography for cycling•Dependence on auto •Limited gas stations

Scenic routes

Pedestrian & bicycle amenities- assets

Pedestrian & bicycle amenities- challenges

Vision

A well-connected Hilltowns community with streets that support surrounding uses and offers access to a variety of transportation options for all.

Transportation

Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy:•Adopt Complete Streets policy •Create asset maps for trails, bike, sidewalks, and exercise facilities•Integrate walking spaces and bicycle lanes within existing roads where possible, especially in town centers•Provide shared-use transit services for youth and seniors – school buses, ride-share, shared-use agreements

Transportation

Complete Streets Design Manual

Bicycle lane on existing street

Transportation studies (Survey results- CDC)

Van share models

Recommendations

Long Term:•Develop Complete Streets Implementation Plan

– Allocate funds and prioritize•Safety improvement projects

– Signage, crossings, accessibility •Outdoor exercise equipment in parks and along trails•Extend medical emergency services

Transportation

Signage, accessibility and traffic calming features

Signage, accessibility and traffic calming features: Complete Streets Manual

Outdoor exercise equipment in parks and along trails


Assets•Tourism Possibilities•Proximity to large population centers•Growing interests in local food•Historic architecture

Challenges•Lack of jobs•Declining / aging population•Low investment•The Berkshires – How to distinguish and draw audience

VISION

Diverse economy that draws visitors, new residents and business investment based on existing natural resources.


Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy:•Temporary / pop up restaurants, farm-to-table dinners, art galleries and installations, using empty storefronts and land•Identify targeted visitor profile •Form relationships with local universities to explore tourism marketing branding•Research Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street program


Recommendations

Long Term:•Survey existing tourism opportunities and explore potential for complimentary business development.

– B&Bs, restaurants, bike shops, gas stations, campgrounds, outfitters, shops, etc.

•Tourism and entrepreneurism business incubator •Distinctive identify marketed to targeted to visitors from 250-mile radius


CASE STUDY: Door County, WI

• Door County, Wisconsin


Housing

Housing

Assets•Historic housing stock•Not overdeveloped•Relative affordability within the region •Interest in sustainability•Reuse opportunities

Challenges•Lack of housing options other than single family• Older homes are expensive to maintain•Local vs vacation homes•Aging in place options are limited

Housing

Vision

A diverse region that provides a range of housing options and affordability – from homes for new families to aging seniors.

Housing

Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy:•Provide opportunities for seniors to age in place•Enact policies that allow Accessory dwelling units (ADU) – “In-law flats / homes on properties•Enact sustainability practices for retrofitting homes•Partnership with U Mass Architecture to do housing study for town centers of appropriate scale

Housing

Recommendations

Long Term:•Provide a range of affordable housing options in town centers. Have some units available other than single family homes•Consider cohousing developments – options for intergenerational living•Evaluate adaptive reuse options – churches, schools, old mills or other industrial buildings •Strengthen connections between town centers and housing

Housing

Housing

Open Space / Rec

Open Space


Assets•Vistas, forests, open farmland, ridges and rivers•Scenic roads and byways•Landscape experience •Historic small towns•Outdoor opportunities

Challenges•Topographic and sightline limits•Limited access to some public trails•Lack of playgrounds and safe walking surfaces•Community gardens•Preservation vs growth•Inconsistent land mgt. practices

Vision

Preserved, managed and productive rural landscape.


Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy•Build asset maps•Paint ped/bike lane lines on existing routes•Check existing protection standards to identify gaps/needs

Open Space

Outdoor Rec Opportunities

Recommendations

Long Term•Complete the Highland Trail •Develop/complete the Shepard Farm, Trolley Track, Keystone Arch Bridge trails•Consider sidewalk development, town trail systems and onsite trail development in towns

Open Space

Open Space

Recommendations

Long Term•Develop play and/or multi-use sports areas for children and youth.•Fill in landscape protection gaps•Encourage businesses that support landscape character and working farms•Research additional features for heritage, agri- and ecotourism

Open Space

Outdoor Rec Opportunities

Social / Communication

Social / Community

Assets•Neighborly communities – friendly•Existing networks, orgs., groups – COA, CDC, Healthy Hilltowns•Facilities / Building stock

Challenges•Lack of broadband •Underutilized, and vacant gathering spaces•Remote and isolated•Limited interaction between towns

Vision

Effective networks of communication and enhanced sense of community.


Recommendations

Quick, Cheap and Easy•Create a leadership network among Hilltowns’ communities that fosters communication and collaboration •Establish a “Hilltowns Regional Council” or “Hilltowns Tomorrow” – made up of representatives from each town to promote, coordinate efforts•Hilltowns marketing campaign, facebook page, Nextdoor•Community assessment toolbox – to measure a community’s assets


Recommendations

Long Term•Implement Broadband infrastructure access to entire Hilltowns region•Build website with resources and asset map for each community, e-news •Determine best practices for communication to residents in rural areas (print expense vs online limited-access)•Establish places to exchange surplus items, including food – “Dump Share,” freezer storage, excess veggies at stands; clothes, tools, etc.


Recommendations - Broadband

• Lack of broadband discourages younger people from moving to the region, limits educational opportunities for children, limits business operations, limits opportunities to work from home

• Unserved communities in the SDAT focus area: Chesterfield, Goshen, Blandford, Worthington, Middlefield, Plainfield

• Funding is available for broadband installation through the MBI (requires state approval)


Recommendations - Broadband

• Towns still need to advocate for themselves (given the constraints: low-population density, geographical barriers, cost)

• Recommendations: towns form broadband committees to identify specific opportunities/challenges, and coordinate with one another to form a louder voice to the state, demanding broadband:


Case Study

– Case Study: The Town of Leverett formed a Broadband Committee to advocate for broadband access. Their efforts resulted in the formation of LeverettNet, a broadband network owned by the town and operated under the local telecom authority. The Committee developed a plan and economic model that would work for their town, which made installation of broadband possible.


Threats of inaction

Vibrant communities

Final Thoughts Overall Recommendations

• Now is the time to act!• Aging infrastructure and population• Collaboration and cooperation is a must• Work locally, think regionally• Connect resources – access funding• Capitalize on existing assets • Research other success stories• Create a framework for focused investment

Regionalism

Thank You!

Thank you Hilltowns!

Healthy Hilltowns

Design

Transcript of Healthy Hilltowns