Northland Investment wanted to reinvent a classic strip mall in Newton, Massachusetts, an older suburb of Boston. The developer asked for an urban design strategy that would make the site a focal point for the area around it—a destination with a strong sense of character. We didn’t have to look far for a good model: historic commercial villages can be found throughout Newton. Built before cars, they embodied just the right scale for walkability.

Developed while at Stantec, our plan replaces all the buildings on the site except for a 19th-century mill building. Walkable new development wraps around the historic mill, adding more than a million square feet of stores, offices, and multi-family housing. Tying everything together—and giving the new development strong “curb appeal”—is a carefully-planned Main Street defined by a public realm of active sidewalks, accessible bike paths, and a landscaped square designed and programmed to serve as a new community hub.

Our work brought the project in line with the city’s goals for design, density, and mix of uses while creating maximum value for our client. Moreover, it gives Northland a model it can use across the U.S. for redeveloping larger sites in urban neighborhoods.