Video: First public "in-process" presentation and feedback session for Design Northampton Week

Here is a complete Google video of Design Northampton Week’s first public “in-process” presentation and feedback session that took place last night. It’s one hour and 42 minutes long. The Notre Dame design team discussed the historical settlement patterns and geography of Northampton and indicated potential areas of focus. Citizens were not shy to give their opinions. We call your attention to these two segments in particular:

Fran Volkmann, Vice Chair, Community Preservation Committee
1:09:26-1:10:57
We would like to concentrate development closer in, we like the idea of walkability, bikeability, neighborhood center… The thing that happens to us, however, is that we buy that and then somebody builds some horrible thing…and then they say to you, “This is infill, you know. It’s good, it’s infill.” …You know if you walk in European cities, you very often find little tiny pocket parks, and little bits of green spaces, mixed in with beautiful buildings… How do we…learn to…value…respect for people at the same time that we try to fill in our park spaces?

Ira, advocate for the homeless
1:36:35-1:41:56
What are you doing for the people? …You’re talking about designing stuff, you design stuff for the poor people out there, too… You may have a Ph.D.; these people in here, they’re people, too…

The second public “in-process” presentation and feedback session will take place tonight (Wednesday) from 7:30-9:00pm.

Here are close-up images of the some of the charts exhibited at Tuesday’s session. The last chart shows potential areas of focus for the design team: