General Worcester Discussion

Dropping this here. Community garden project in Green Hill Park:

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I've spent very little time in Worcester but took the train in today for a conference at the DCU center. Didn't help or course that it was grey and chilly, but very poor pedestrian experience between the station and DCU. Big intersections, absolutely no activation of the street, a bunch of parking garages. Am I being too critical? It feels like a corridor that should have more life.
 
I've spent very little time in Worcester but took the train in today for a conference at the DCU center. Didn't help or course that it was grey and chilly, but very poor pedestrian experience between the station and DCU. Big intersections, absolutely no activation of the street, a bunch of parking garages. Am I being too critical? It feels like a corridor that should have more life.
No, you're not being too critical. The rotary in front of Union Station sucks, and the walk to DCU is lifeless. Kelley Square and downtown have seriously improved since I moved away in 2018, but the corridor you walked is still gray and automobile-oriented.
 
I've spent very little time in Worcester but took the train in today for a conference at the DCU center. Didn't help or course that it was grey and chilly, but very poor pedestrian experience between the station and DCU. Big intersections, absolutely no activation of the street, a bunch of parking garages. Am I being too critical? It feels like a corridor that should have more life.

Yeah, the pedestrian experience around Union Station is abysmal. It's geographically close to some pretty solid retail/dining/commercial areas (e.g. Shrewsbury St, Canal District, Downtown), but the walks to any of them are a combination of indirect, unpleasant, boring, and/or unsafe. The presence of the elevated highway does not help things.
 
I've spent very little time in Worcester but took the train in today for a conference at the DCU center. Didn't help or course that it was grey and chilly, but very poor pedestrian experience between the station and DCU. Big intersections, absolutely no activation of the street, a bunch of parking garages. Am I being too critical? It feels like a corridor that should have more life.
No, you're spot on
 
Yeah, the pedestrian experience around Union Station is abysmal. It's geographically close to some pretty solid retail/dining/commercial areas (e.g. Shrewsbury St, Canal District, Downtown), but the walks to any of them are a combination of indirect, unpleasant, boring, and/or unsafe. The presence of the elevated highway does not help things.
I think they should put a park under the highway between grafton and shrewsbury like the bentway in Canada
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I think exactly the same each time I pass by there. Including that little area on the Washington Square rotary which now just collects trash on its chain-linked fence.
 
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