Client: Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts

Year: 2022-2023

Project Team

• Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea

• Downtown Improvement Committee

• Manchester Historic District Commission

• Manchester Historical Museum

• Manchester Bike/Pedestrian Committee

Civic Space Collaborative (CSC) provided consulting services to the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea to create the “Manchester-by-the-Sea Downtown Placemaking Plan.” The Plan provides recommendations to enhance the character by improving the public realm.

The planning process included four phases.

• Phase 1: Existing conditions assessment.

• Phase 2: Community engagement at an open house and online survey.

• Phase 3: Develop project recommendations for streetscape furniture, wayfinding, public art, and public restrooms.

• Phase 4: Project recommendations in the final Plan.

Four placemaking project recommendations were developed based on the survey and stakeholder input.

• Streetscape Furniture: Site locations and product specifications for benches, tables, bike racks, and trash receptacles.

• Wayfinding: Site locations and create a wayfinding system that includes kiosks, pedestrian wayfinding signage, and developing new town entrance signage.

• Public Art:  Enhancing the town’s character with banners, creative crosswalks, murals, painted electrical boxes, and temporary public art sculptures.

• Public Restrooms:  Site selection, recommendations for a new structure type, and permit considerations.

 Funded by the Community One Stop for Growth Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Grant.