Success Stories in Coastal Smart Growth

Many of the techniques and tools advocated by CZM's Coastal Smart Growth Program have been successfully implemented in Massachusetts. Below is a list of these success stories, with links to additional information where available:

• Open Space Residential Design (OSRD) Rural Case Study in Newbury - With the assistance of the Green Neighborhoods Alliance, Newbury was the first town in Massachusetts to pass an OSRD bylaw, giving developers the option to concentrate housing units while keeping at least 50% of the land as open space. The Newbury bylaw also gives bonuses for historic preservation, affordable housing, or protection of extra open space. Published in the Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit, this case study examines the Caldwell Farm development in Newbury, which is being developed under the OSRD bylaw and will maintain 100 of 125 acres as open space, while building 66 housing units with a shared wastewater treatment system.
• Greenscapes - This program, developed through a diverse partnership led by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, promotes "greenscaping" to save time and money, and protect the environment by reducing the need for water and chemicals. The program includes workshops, a guidebook, fact sheets, and a detailed website.
• Long Lake Water Quality Restoration and Protection Demonstration Project - This town of Littleton model, funded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, demonstrates how distributed Low Impact Development (LID) controls can effectively reduce stormwater volume and nutrients to lakes with large residential areas and extensive stormwater collection systems. Watershed assessment efforts identified locations to retrofit the existing stormwater drainage system through the installation of grass-lined and vegetated swales, bioretention cells, and constructed wetlands.
• Pinehills Low Impact Development Design - Pinehills is a planned open-space mixed-use development in Plymouth, which is an alternative to standard grid subdivisions. It serves as an excellent example of cluster design that preserves of natural features, reduces impervious surfaces, conserves water, reuses wastewater, and promotes historic preservation.
• Best Development Practices Guidebook - This guidebook, developed by the town of Franklin, provides guidelines for developers and project reviewers to improve the quality of development in the town and to allow for a range of "creative" development practices, including LID. The guidebook describes preferred design and construction practices for stormwater management, site planning, erosion control, and landscape design.
• Neighborhood Redevelopment in Lawrence - In winter 2002, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Groundwork Lawrence, and the City of Lawrence joined forces to launch a major planning effort designed to build on the work that was already underway through the Lawrence Gateway Project (LGP), as well as Project Reviviendo, a community-based effort to transform vacant lots and abandoned buildings in the North Common neighborhood into new homes, playgrounds, and community spaces. The successful and innovative project brought environmental, economic, and social vitality to the heart of the city.
• Low Impact Development (LID) Urban Case Study of Genzyme Corporate Headquarters in Cambridge - Published in the Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit, this case study presents the LID components in the design of this building, which is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
• Traditional Neighborhood Development Urban Case Study of Mashpee Commons - Also from the Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit, this case study discusses the Mashpee Commons development in Mashpee, which set the standard for Traditional Neighborhood Development in New England and is the most recognized example of New Urbanism in Massachusetts. In 1988, this former disinvested strip mall was converted into Mashpee Commons, a mixed-use, mixed-income, pedestrian-friendly town center.
• Urban Stormwater Management Guidebook (PDF, 6.35 MB) - This guidebook was developed by the city of Salem to assist residents, designers, and contractors with meeting the requirements of the recently adopted Stormwater and LID Ordinance. The guidebook describes preferred design and construction practices for stormwater management, site planning, erosion control, and landscape design.
• Patridgeberry Place (PDF, 1.3 MB) - An OSRD development that preserves the beauty of existing woodlands and landscapes while embracing the rural character of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts.