Assembly Square Infill and Small Developments | Somerville

[statler]

Can someone link to or post photos of post war urban developments that are authentically modern with no false pretenses yet still feels like human-scaled urbanism?

It's possible they exist in spades but I can't really think of or remember any. Modern buildings are great in space as monolithic sculptures but I don't know of any true densely settled spaces filled with walls of modern architecture that really works as a great urban space. I get that things like keystones and gargoyles aren't needed in modern construction but I think they still serve an important, if less utilitarian, purpose in urban space. So gimme that Disney, just try to use high quality materials and use fakery in the same manner it would have been used back in the day. (i.e. I hate fake shutters on modern neo-colonials, but throw up a pair of operable shutters that are scaled to the window and I approve - even if they will never leave their tiebacks)

 

[datadyne007]

Can someone link to or post photos of post war urban developments that are authentically modern with no false pretenses yet still feels like human-scaled urbanism?

It's possible they exist in spades but I can't really think of or remember any. Modern buildings are great in space as monolithic sculptures but I don't know of any true densely settled spaces filled with walls of modern architecture that really works as a great urban space. I get that things like keystones and gargoyles aren't needed in modern construction but I think they still serve an important, if less utilitarian, purpose in urban space. So gimme that Disney, just try to use high quality materials and use fakery in the same manner it would have been used back in the day. (i.e. I hate fake shutters on modern neo-colonials, but throw up a pair of operable shutters that are scaled to the window and I approve - even if they will never leave their tiebacks)

This this this.

I was thinking of this yesterday and I can't think of any.

 

[Lrfox]

No, it is not really in walking distance to any real neighborhood. They created a new area completely. This was former brownfield wasteland. I don't understand how people thing this should look like it has been here for 100 years. I'd love to see what people think all these new developments should look like. Clearly, in fantasy land, budgets and reality don't exist.

Absolutely true. I'm not sure how they could have better developed the space.

My hope for Assembly Row is that it can serve as a catalyst for similar development spreading out from what already exists. The proposals for nearby lots point to the potential for that happening. Unlike, say, Reston Town Center or National Harbor in the DC area, Assembly Row is actually close to some dense, urban neighborhoods in East Somerville.

It's not unreasonable to think that with continued urban growth around Assembly, efforts couldn't be undertaken to integrate the nearby residential neighborhoods better. If urban development continues toward the Fellsway and I-93, a few carefully placed pedestrian bridges (something like the India Point Bridge in Providence- not the narrow caged-in green things) and some better crossings and traffic calming measures along the Fellsway could go a long way to integrating the development on that site to the rest of the city.

I don't understand the issue with the fact that it's currently isolated or the architecture is too "disney." It works. And it's also the best use of the brownfield space we could hope for.

 

[bakgwailo]

This this this.

I was thinking of this yesterday and I can't think of any.

So, I would think many would disagree with me, but I would throw Roosevelt Island (NYC) in there. Not quite urban environment like Manhattan, but, it has high density in all of its mid rises, and a reasonable streetscape in both the older brutalist (which grows on you - the covered sideways were actually pretty nice) buildings and the newer area by the subway station. It has its issues but I think from a completely state planned project it actually is working now pretty well.

 

[atlantaden]

Tech Square in Atlanta is the closest (that I am aware) as to how a new mixed use development intergrated itself almost seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood! We lived within a few blocks of this when it was originally built probably 15 years ago! New apartment towers/office space continue to be built around the original Tech Square. The lower half of the first image shows the original site, you can see it is part of the city! One side borders the depressed I75/85 interstate.


The streets are lined with restaurants and retail!

 

[TheRifleman]

Then you just proved yourself wrong about the Seaport, Yogi Berra.

Success & Failure is really deemed by the person or the groups affected concerning the development situation.
For the Developers who make profits (Seaport will be a success) Generates Profits
For the Builders and Unions (Seaport will be a success) Generates Jobs
For the city/Politicians (Seaport will be a success) Generates Tax Revenue

For the Taxpayers (Seaport has been a failure) We got taken to the cleaners on the entire area. 100's of Millions of tax incentives.
For the Everyday JoeSixPack Traveling to work (Seaport is failure) Traffic congestion sitting in to get to work) No efficiency into the area which creates a domino affect in traffic.
For the Everyday tourist and foot trafficker (Seaport is a failure) Too much walking to get know where. Nothing enticing in this area.

Overall Build-out and architecture is in the eye of the beholder.
From my view Seaport is underperforming in architecture and development, and anytype of active area for the pedestrian foot traffic life.

Seaport should have been the best development in Boston. Instead we are talking about comparing Assembly Row to Seaport.
I think that's very underwhelming.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Can someone link to or post photos of post war urban developments that are authentically modern with no false pretenses yet still feels like human-scaled urbanism?

It's possible they exist in spades but I can't really think of or remember any. Modern buildings are great in space as monolithic sculptures but I don't know of any true densely settled spaces filled with walls of modern architecture that really works as a great urban space. I get that things like keystones and gargoyles aren't needed in modern construction but I think they still serve an important, if less utilitarian, purpose in urban space. So gimme that Disney, just try to use high quality materials and use fakery in the same manner it would have been used back in the day. (i.e. I hate fake shutters on modern neo-colonials, but throw up a pair of operable shutters that are scaled to the window and I approve - even if they will never leave their tiebacks)

HafenCity, Hamburg:
http://www.hafencity.com/en/overview.html

Browse the site, multiple quarters with varying purposes, very human scale. Even a HafenCity University!

Here is their image video link for a quick overview:
http://www.hafencity.com/en/overview/the-hafencity-project.html

I try to not cry about what the Seaport might have been!

 

[jass]

Can someone link to or post photos of post war urban developments that are authentically modern with no false pretenses yet still feels like human-scaled urbanism?

It's possible they exist in spades but I can't really think of or remember any. Modern buildings are great in space as monolithic sculptures but I don't know of any true densely settled spaces filled with walls of modern architecture that really works as a great urban space. I get that things like keystones and gargoyles aren't needed in modern construction but I think they still serve an important, if less utilitarian, purpose in urban space. So gimme that Disney, just try to use high quality materials and use fakery in the same manner it would have been used back in the day. (i.e. I hate fake shutters on modern neo-colonials, but throw up a pair of operable shutters that are scaled to the window and I approve - even if they will never leave their tiebacks)

60% of DC

 

[cca]

Wait, but is this a bug or a feature? i.e. building something that 'looks' like a superblock to a bank and to the register of deeds but also 'looks' like a multi-tenant 'urban' area to everyone else seems to be the 'secret sauce' that everyone is so excited about.

Yes, the ground-level experience is fake in a disney way (/hyperreal in a baudrillard way), but the density is real in a real way (just as the pedestrian experience is also pleasant in a pleasant way, and the rapid transit is rapid...)...right?

Its a bug. The thing that makes an urban street wall of a multi-parcel block rich over time - the ability for buildings of different type, size, materials, and style to exist together, change and renew. When you put up a symbolic gesture of that ... you lose authenticity and the possibility of another layer of richness. You can't recreate Newbury Street. It happened over time and is still happening.

I am not saying that is bad by the way ... its just not a good substitution for what one tends to say they love about urbanism.

 

[cca]

Bingo. Superblocks are ok as long as they aesthetically read as separate parcels.

I cant agree ... since you are missing the ability for the street face to change over time. Its density, at a human scale, with variety, ... all shifting over time that is what we connect to. The superblock facade is forever (until demolishion) stuck in a state of Norman Rockwell-esque idealized perfection.

Sorry to be dogmatic about this ... I have done too much reading and study about this very topic. I have some very "stuck" ideas.

cca

Can someone link to or post photos of post war urban developments that are authentically modern with no false pretenses yet still feels like human-scaled urbanism?

In reference to the above ... its hard to have something develop all at once and have the kind of richness we desire. 50 years is also a very short timeline when it comes to what makes places wonderful.

 

[choo]

For the city/Politicians (Seaport will be a success) Generates Tax Revenue

For the Taxpayers (Seaport has been a failure) We got taken to the cleaners on the entire area. 100's of Millions of tax incentives.

...?

 

[bakgwailo]

Its a bug. The thing that makes an urban street wall of a multi-parcel block rich over time - the ability for buildings of different type, size, materials, and style to exist together, change and renew. When you put up a symbolic gesture of that ... you lose authenticity and the possibility of another layer of richness. You can't recreate Newbury Street. It happened over time and is still happening.

I am not saying that is bad by the way ... its just not a good substitution for what one tends to say they love about urbanism.

I agree with the sentiment, but, that style of development appears to not exist anymore, at all. I would rather then at least get a facsimile of it vs a big boring value engineered prefab'd building taking up an entire block.

 

[cca]

I agree with the sentiment, but, that style of development appears to not exist anymore, at all. I would rather then at least get a facsimile of it vs a big boring value engineered prefab'd building taking up an entire block.

Right ... we accept the fake because the good is not possible. This is why architectural theorist work so hard to get away from old tropes ... because they cant exist in the way we want them too. Notice how often we pine for "Boston-ness" but then agree that we can't have it any more. We can if we just admit what the new Boston-ness is.

Ok ..enough for one day ...right?

cca

 

[tysmith95]

The problem with assembly is that it's surrounded by Sullivan Square (yuck), an elevated highway (yuck), and the Mystic River. It's hard to integrate with surrounding neighborhoods when there are no surrounding neighborhoods to integrate with. Until the city decides to bury I-93 and redevelop Sullivan there will never be neighborhoods to integrate with.

I think Assembly is very similar to Cityplace in West Palm Beach. Both have that faux historical architecture and great walk-able places. Of course the historical architecture in Florida looks different than the architecture in New England but it's the same idea. City Place is probably my favorite new mixed use development that i've seen in the United States.

Assembly would have been better if they incorporated a pedestrian only area inside of the development. I don't like how the developers placed the garages so that you have to drive through the development in order to get to them. (the church is old but I believe that the rest of the development was built around 2000)

Cityplace in west palm has a large pedestrian only area with outdoor seating and regular events from outdoor performers. It's actually pretty similar to Quincy Market in that regard. I think Assembly missed an opportunity in not providing a space like this. Regular street performers and small concerts could have really brought out the full potential for this site.

 

[datadyne007]

I think Assembly missed an opportunity in not providing a space like this. Regular street performers and small concerts could have really brought out the full potential for this site.

It just hasn't been built yet. See the space between Parcel 7A & 8 that's to come.

There's also a great amphitheater (one of the first things completed) on the water at Baxter Park where "Assembly Row" (the road) ends behind JP Licks.

 

[tysmith95]

Still includes a street and parking according to this development plan which I believe is more recent.

Looks like the new apartment tower should top out soon. The Condo/Hotel building is going up fast.

Here's an updated master plan

http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/d...5_OPENSPACE_ALP_SpecialPermit Master Plan.pdf

I found a render of the public space between block 7 and block 8. It also shows a glance of the block 8 plans.

Since these plans aren't set in stone I would love if the developer turned this into a pedestrian only area.

 

[odurandina]

The problem with assembly is that it's surrounded by Sullivan Square (yuck), an elevated highway (yuck), and the Mystic River. It's hard to integrate with surrounding neighborhoods when there are no surrounding neighborhoods to integrate with.

Assembly is a great addition to the area, in any case.

 

[DAVE]

Absolutely true. I'm not sure how they could have better developed the space.

My hope for Assembly Row is that it can serve as a catalyst for similar development spreading out from what already exists. The proposals for nearby lots point to the potential for that happening. Unlike, say, Reston Town Center or National Harbor in the DC area, Assembly Row is actually close to some dense, urban neighborhoods in East Somerville.

It's not unreasonable to think that with continued urban growth around Assembly, efforts couldn't be undertaken to integrate the nearby residential neighborhoods better. If urban development continues toward the Fellsway and I-93, a few carefully placed pedestrian bridges (something like the India Point Bridge in Providence- not the narrow caged-in green things) and some better crossings and traffic calming measures along the Fellsway could go a long way to integrating the development on that site to the rest of the city.

I don't understand the issue with the fact that it's currently isolated or the architecture is too "disney." It works. And it's also the best use of the brownfield space we could hope for.

Does anyone know if there are plans or even chances of pedestrian bridges crossing I93 over to Assembly row or is that out of the question? I feel like that is the only hope of making it somewhat cohesive to the surrounding area.

 

[tysmith95]

Does anyone know if there are plans or even chances of pedestrian bridges crossing I93 over to Assembly row or is that out of the question? I feel like that is the only hope of making it somewhat cohesive to the surrounding area.

Never gonna happen. It's basically impossible to make this pedestrian friendly. The urban planners who came up with elevated highways should be tortured and shot.

I also believe that the city of Somerville (or the state) uses this area to store road salt during the winter. However that could easily be moved and a new passageway could be built. I doubt many people would use it though especially with Trader Joes moving into Assembly and Wegmans moving into Medford (no reason to walk to Stop and Shop).

 

[chrisbrat]

the new hotel and other additions could alleviate this one particular gripe, but a thing that came up repeatedly last night was how everything (currently) is the same height and size (pretty much). not to say that you couldn't apply that same critique to newbury street or most of commonwealth ave, but i think that (the size/height homogeny) coupled with the fact that it's shared management for the whole thing certainly adds to the "fake" feeling of the whole area. it really is like a mall in that respect -- there can be individual stores/buildings, but it's all overseen by the same entity, so it all seems... the same/sterile.