Tours

Organized by the Local Host Committee, the CNU 33 tours are opportunities for attendees to learn on the go - experiencing all that Providence and New England have to offer on foot, bike, train, or bus. All tours depart and return to the Omni Providence. Unless marked, all full-day tours do not include lunch, but will provide a stop where lunch can be acquired. 

To register for tours at CNU 33, please click here.

Wednesday, June 11​

• Cracking the NIMBY Code: Context Appropriate Design for Affordable Housing | 8:30am -12:00pm
  Bus to Walk ($60)
  The "East Bay" of Rhode Island consists of several residential communities that understand the importance of creating affordable housing but might not want it in their backyard. Working in collaboration with Union Studio Architecture and Community Design, the East Bay Community Development Corporation developed two communities in the Town of Barrington that overcame the NIMBY hurdle. The first neighborhood, Sweetbriar, includes 47 affordable homes in a mix of duplexes and townhouses arranged around a common green. Based on the success of that project, East Bay and Union were able to design and develop a second neighborhood, Palmer Pointe, that added another 40 affordable homes in a mix of townhouses and stacked flats. Together, Sweetbriar and Palmer Pointe illustrate how affordable housing, when designed to respect the local context, can ultimately be accepted by even the most resistant of communities.

• Reckoning with Urban Renewal | 9:00am -12:00pm
  Walk ($35)
  Providence's Benefit Street, also known as "The Mile of History," is the city's earliest surviving neighborhood with buildings dating from the late 18th century. Despite it's historic value, in the 1950s the neighborhood was nearly destroyed by the city's urban renewal plan and Brown University's campus expansion. Preservationists, architects, art historians, and others rallied to create the nation's first urban renewal plan that featured historic preservation as a key part of redevelopment. Many homes were purchased and renovated in an attempt to preserve the architectural heritage of the neighborhood. The plan saved many buildings, but scores of residents, mostly African American and those with Cape Verdean heritage, were displaced. The Providence Preservation Society has inherited those efforts, positive and negative. Hear from their executive director about how historic preservation and city planning can be used to revitalize while retaining existing residents.

• Hearty Cyclists Bike the East Bay | 8:30am -1:00pm
  Bike ($60)
  Take a 20-mile round trip ride on the East Bay Bike Path to Warren for a tour of the area’s efforts to address climate change adaptation and resilience. Warren, a historic waterfront town, faces increasing climate hazards and coastal flooding. In response, local leaders and citizens developed a plan to reduce flood damage and explore managed retreat for at-risk properties. Led by Arnold Robinson, AICP, this e-bike tour highlights Warren’s Market to Metacom plan, which includes recommendations that combine resiliency efforts with redevelopment to create a new transit-connected neighborhood featuring diverse housing options and commercial spaces. Additionally, researchers from the University of Rhode Island (URI) will discuss their four-year project to develop a decision-support system for Warren that will integrate key data points and infrastructure information, helping the community make science-based decisions on strategies to address flood risk and well-being. URI’s project demonstrates how a multi-disciplinary approach to community engagement critically informs research and, in turn, how research can inform planning and decision making.

• Sunny Day Flooding: The Effects of Climate Change on Coastal Communities | 8:30am - 3:00pm
  Bus to Bike ($100)
  Low-lying and surrounded by water, the Ocean State’s magical "City by the Sea" is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Led by Bari Freeman, Executive Director of Bike Newport, and Teresa Crean, the City of Newport's Director of Sustainability and Resiliency, this tour will explore what changes the City of Newport is experiencing and what proactive and preventative measures the City has planned to respond to climate change and increase resilience. Together we will visit and discuss locations and infrastructure at high-risk. Stops will include the Point Neighborhood, the Cliff Walk, Easton's Beach, King Park, and several stormwater runoff management sites. We'll tour the area using responsible zero-carbon-emitting transportation - human powered (not electric) bicycles! The ride is approximately 10 miles. **Includes boxed lunch. 

• Newport's Old Urbanism: How 18th Century Streets Continue to Influence our 21st Century Practice | 8:30am - 3:00pm
  Bus to Walk ($85)
  While Newport is nationally renowned for its collection of mansions and alluring rocky coastline, New Urbanists flock to this city to discover the historic sites, small commercial buildings, and people-scaled streets that are the foundation of our modern-day practice. Our walking tour travels through the core of this 18th century city looking at: The Point, an historic gridded street neighborhood mapped by early Quaker settlers; Historic Hill and the Redwood Library, the first neoclassical building in the new world; Bowen's Wharf, a prime example of late 20th Century New Urbanist planning; and a stop at one of the Rhode Island Slave Medallion sites. Along the route, see buildings designed by Peter Harrison, Richard Morris Hunt, and Sir Christopher Wren as well as examples of vernacular architecture of Newport. Attendees are invited to consider how historic development created such a distinct and memorable place, while continuing to influence through the modern-day.

• Bike Like a Boston Local | 8:30am - 3:30pm
  Bus to Bike ($95)
  Hop on a bike for a 10 mile tour that highlights some of Boston and Cambridge's best bike infrastructure. Our adventure begins in Boston's North End where we will experience revolution era streets and modern raised, separated bike lanes. Pause along the Rose Kennedy Greenway to learn about the "Big Dig" and how the City of Boston completely transformed the area by relocating the formerly elevated interstate highway underground, creating a new pedestrian greenway in its place. Then, experience the ever-evolving bike networks of Boston and Cambridge. Different design configurations and best practices will be identified as well as the barriers faced when these lanes were first built, how the bikeway designs were developed, and we'll review what might be done differently if the project was starting over. This will be a full day trip with a stop for lunch.

• Patching Urban Fabric with Public Art Interventions: Examples by The Avenue Concept in Providence Downtown District | 10:00am -12:00pm
  Walk ($35)
  The Avenue Concept (TAC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to thoughtfully curate and skillfully produce visual public art and experiences with artists and communities in the US. Since 2012 TAC has produced over 300 pieces of public art in Rhode Island using mostly privately generated funds. Today the impact of the work is visible as a tangible mood-shifter in Providence's Downtown, where TAC's murals, specifically, have been used to patch the urban landscape to create safe avenues, monumental place-markers, and wayfinding visual aids that contribute to the City's drive to create a thriving and revitalized business district. This tour visits a portfolio of works by international, regional and local artists, led by a TAC Staff member.

• A Partnership for Old and New: the Pine Street Historic District | 9:30am - 12:30pm
  Walk ($35)
  The Pine Street Historic District on the south side of Providence currently has about sixty remaining houses from the 19th century, a mere fraction of what existed during the neighborhood's peak. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, the district lost many of its buildings to the interrelated tragedies of urban renewal and highway construction, which in turn caused population loss and, ultimately, blight. Since that time, many community advocates and groups - including SWAP (Stop Wasting Abandoned Property) - have worked to preserve the remaining structures and incentivize infill development to bring the district back to life. This tour will demonstrate the importance of historic preservation working hand-in-hand with new infill construction to bring homeownership, rental housing, and mixed-use commercial spaces, back to an area that once thrived.

• Mashpee Commons: Examining the Original Transformation and Ongoing Legacy of a Key New Urbanist Project | 9:30am - 4:30pm
  Bus to Walk ($85)
  The transformation of the former New Seabury Shopping Center in Mashpee, Massachusetts, into a robust urban town center began over 30 years ago with the determined vision of Buff Chace to introduce density, activity, and community at the intersection of two state highways on Cape Cod. Mashpee Commons, now a locus of the town's civic buildings and entertainment, had many evolutions and obstacles along the way. Developers battled regulatory challenges, public perception of density and parking, and the 2008 recession which slowed plans to add neighborhoods surrounding the center. Now, density at Mashpee Commons is being heralded by the Cape Cod Commission as a key way to protect the watershed and reduce emissions. This tour will showcase the original innovations that made Mashpee Commons famous among New Urbanists and the ongoing work to ensure that this legacy model of suburban retrofit continues to demonstrate the values of density and urbanism in New England. **Includes lunch.

• La Broa': Exploring the Roots of Latin Culture in the South Side of Providence | 1:00pm - 4:00pm
  Bus to Walk ($35)
  Known by locals as La Broa’ (broh-ah), Broad Street connects four distinct neighborhoods in South Providence and is well known as a vibrant Latin-centered sphere filled with entertainment, food, and small businesses. Since the 1960's, it has been the center of Hispanic commerce, activism, and Latin cultural expression. Join Marta V. Martínez, Executive Director of RI Latino Arts, for a walk along Lower Broad Street. Learn about the many lives of the street from the 1700's to present day as an indigenous trailway, the site of the first electric trolley line, a case study of the failures of the interstate highway system, and finally as a story of transformation and urban renewal when Latinos began to settle and rebuilt. Along the way, you will see recent investments by the city to improve safety and accessibility and have the option to purchase drinks or food from one of the many bodegas, fruit stands, Caribbean food eateries or Chimi Trucks.

• From Highway to Innovation District: A Walk Through the Process of Redeveloping I-195 | 1:00pm - 4:30pm
  Walk ($35)
  More than a decade has passed since Interstate I-195 was relocated, freeing up 26 acres of land in Providence for redevelopment. The land was placed in the control of the I-195 Redevelopment District, a quasi-public state agency charged with maximizing economic development and knitting back together the neighborhoods bifurcated for decades by the raised highway infrastructure. This tour will showcase the over $1 billion of public and private investment in the District as well as a discussion of future plans. Participants will learn about public space investments including: the 7-acre District Park; the award-winning Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial pedestrian bridge, built across the Providence River on former highway foundations; and the Providence Riverwalk. Participants will also get to see first hand District-led placemaking projects including: Dune Brothers seafood shack, Tizzy K's ice cream storefront, and a hard hat tour of the new year-round park pavilion opening in mid-2025.

• Connecting Communities to the Coast: The Fields Point Urban Coastal Greenway | 1:00pm - 5:00pm
  Bus to Walk ($65)
  As the most southern area of Providence, Fields Point is a historic park and prolific natural resource that was adversely impacted by shoreline filling in the 20th century and eventually restored into an Urban Coastal Greenway (UGC). Today, the UGC extends over 3000 linear feet and provides expanded public access to Narragansett Bay for nearby communities. The creation of the greenway is an example of non-governmental collaboration to redevelop brownfields, create coastal access, and protect habitats while overcoming the challenges of siloed environmental management and regulatory practices. Through the partnership of Save The Bay Center, Johnson and Wales University Harborside campus and Prov Port, the greenway was built in independent phases with unique objectives, including on-site stormwater management, education, and recreation. Speakers from these NGOs will share why each group decided to create their segment for the benefit of their organizations and the community.

• Attainable Infill: Missing Middle Housing Options in East Providence | 1:30 - 4:30pm
  Bike ($60)
  Explore some of East Providence's latest urban infill development using the East Bay Bike Path, the first multi-town bike path built in Rhode Island that follows the old Providence and Bristol Railroad. Visit Residences at Riverside Square, an infill housing project with 16 affordable rental apartments for 30-60% AMI households, including three units for youth aging out of foster care. Known locally as "the Old Vamco Site," the long-vacant property, once plagued by hazardous chemicals from a jewelry finishing operation, has been remediated. The second stop will be Ivy Place, a thoughtfully conceived urban infill project that introduces thirteen new homeownership units at 60-100% AMI to the heart of one of East Providence's main street corridors in the Waterfront District. A defining feature of the project is the inclusion of four Live/Work townhouses along Taunton Avenue, the city's main commercial corridor.

​​Thursday, June 12

• Charrette High School: Downtown Providence Through the Eyes of its Youngest Advocates | 10:15am - 12:15pm
  Walk ($35)
  Founded in 2018, the Charrette Charter High School is a community-based school in Providence, with a unique focus on historic preservation and urban planning, cultivating a sense of civic responsibility and an appreciation for the role we all play in shaping the cities we call home. Charrette students have spent their spring semester of Urban Planning designing a tour that showcases the city's progress, development, and living examples of New Urbanism. Visit the Superman Building and nearby Kennedy Plaza and walk down the Washington Street corridor to the Providence Public Library.

• La Broa': Exploring the Roots of Latin Culture in the South Side of Providence | 10:15am -1:15pm
  Bus to Walk ($35)
  Known by locals as La Broa’ (broh-ah), Broad Street connects four distinct neighborhoods in South Providence and is well known as a vibrant Latin-centered sphere filled with entertainment, food, and small businesses. Since the 1960's, it has been the center of Hispanic commerce, activism, and Latin cultural expression. Join Marta V. Martínez, Executive Director of RI Latino Arts, for a walk along Lower Broad Street. Learn about the many lives of the street from the 1700's to present day as an indigenous trailway, the site of the first electric trolley line, a case study of the failures of the interstate highway system, and finally as a story of transformation and urban renewal when Latinos began to settle and rebuilt. Along the way, you will see recent investments by the city to improve safety and accessibility and have the option to purchase drinks or food from one of the many bodegas, fruit stands, Caribbean food eateries or Chimi Trucks.

• Where the Saltwater Ends: Centuries of Evolution of The Woonasquatucket River | 10:15am-1:15pm
  Bike to Walk ($60)
  The Woonasquatucket River (the Narragansett name translates to "where the saltwater ends", indicating that a portion of it is tidal) has been a vital waterway for thousands of years. For native peoples, it served as a transportation route to Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic, and a source of food, including anadromous fish spawning upstream annually, and land along the river was important as a site for trade and festivals. During the Industrial Revolution, the river was dammed to power factories, leading to severe pollution. Its flow was channelized, shores were built up, and heavy metals and toxins filled the riverbed, devastating wildlife. In the 1990s, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council began addressing 200 years of damage. Efforts included building fish ladders, restoring wetlands, creating miles of shared-use paths, adding parks, constructing new housing, and bringing people back to the river. This bike tour will explore the river's history of damage and restoration, its transformation into a greenway, and the variety of facilities created along its route.

• Deep Roots: Urban Agriculture, Affordable Housing, and Neighborhood Revitalization in Trinity Square | 10:15am-1:15pm
  Bus to Walk ($60)
  The Trinity Square district serves as a gateway between downtown and South Providence, a vibrant area rich with landmarks of former affluence and signs of disinvestment. This walking tour circles the historic Grace Church cemetery, stopping at three Union Studio-designed projects showcasing revitalization efforts by organizations deeply committed to their community. The first stop is the Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) headquarters, a CNU 2023 Charter Award (Merit) recipient. In 2022, SCLT transformed an 1850s livery building into a hub for urban agriculture, featuring educational spaces, shared processing and kitchen facilities for local farmers, and small retail spaces for food businesses. The second stop is Trinity Place and Townhouses, an urban infill project by Stop Wasting Abandoned Properties (SWAP) in 2015. This mixed-use, missing-middle development restored the urban fabric around a prominent block while providing affordable housing. The final stop is the North Elmwood Revitalization, a 2008 project that converted an architecturally significant street into 56 affordable housing units. This effort preserved and adapted four historic mansions and added new infill structures, blending restoration with new construction.

• Reconnecting People and Rivers in Historic Fall River | 10:15am-4:15pm
  Bus to Walk ($85)
  Cross over the Taunton River and into the heart of Fall River, a historic mill city that is in the process of reconnecting neighborhoods and providing direct access to Boston through the new commuter rail. Stops include a Portuguese marketplace, the Waterfront Cultural District, a mill redevelopment project, and city parks. The focus of the tour is the Route 79-Davol St. Corridor Improvements Project that has removed an elevated highway and is creating a multi-modal urban boulevard, connecting residents to the Taunton River and leaving 19 acres for new development. Lastly, visit the Narrows Center for the Arts, a multi-disciplinary arts center that houses multi-function spaces and a craft brewery. In the third-floor performance space, participants will have views of the many riverfront developments and tour hosts and participants will have the opportunity to review and discuss the plans for renewal and redevelopment.

• The Whole World in One Square Mile: Historic Pawtucket and Central Falls | 12:45 pm - 5:00pm
  Train to Walk ($45)
  Join local officials on a one-stop ride up the Northeast Corridor, America's busiest intercity rail line to the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution, Pawtucket, and the adjoining mill city of Central Falls - "The Whole World in One Square Mile." The train station shared by the two communities closed in the 1980's and was relocated to straight track nearby, opening in 2023. After disembarking the train, we will go on a walking tour of large-scale mill campuses, vestiges of urban renewal, and thriving immigrant communities. The tour will include stops along National Register Landmarks, affordable housing developments, urban gardens, community parks, and educational facilities. Bankrupt 12 years ago, Central Falls is experiencing a renaissance as it reinvests in itself. Pawtucket is opening a new chapter following the relocation of the PawSox, the Boston Red Sox's AAA team.

• A Stately Connection: A Walking Journey through History and Mobility | 1:30pm - 5:30pm
  Bus to Walk ($65)
  Join us on a 6-mile walking tour along the Blackstone River Greenway, starting in downtown Woonsocket, RI, and extending to Blackstone, MA. This tour will highlight the unique role of the greenway as the second official cross-state shared use path connecting two states through a tapestry of historical preservation and modern transportation. A key highlight of the tour is the 7-span stone arch viaduct, a century-old structure once part of the Charles River Railroad. Train service ended 50 years ago but the viaduct continues to serve its original purpose of linking places and people, as part of the Blackstone River Greenway. This rail-to-trail conversion extends the viaduct’s legacy, supporting regional mobility and community connections in a new way, while honoring the transportation history that shaped the Blackstone Valley. We’ll discuss extensive efforts to convert these historic rail corridors into a modern greenway, preserving the character of the past while promoting sustainable, active transportation. We’ll also explore partnerships between RI and MA that made this cross-state project a reality, despite environmental and regulatory challenges.

• A Neighborhood in the (Re)Making | 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  Bike to Walk ($60)
  Three partners came together 40+ years ago to revitalize a historic neighborhood of Providence. Hear from the neighborhood association, the for and non-profit developers, and lender on how they used tools of historic preservation to organize, incentivize, promote, and address issues of abandonment and decline. Explore how those efforts continue to affect the neighborhood today. Leaders of the West Broadway Neighborhood Association will discuss preservation and placekeeping, raising such questions as "To what extent does revitalization change places?" and "What are the virtues of doing it well and where are the inevitable pitfalls?" The Armory Revival Company will discuss their approach to market rate and affordable housing development, highlighting the conversion of the first hospital for Jewish people in Providence into luxury apartments. The Providence Revolving Fund will showcase their innovative home repair, lending, and development programs. The tour will end at Moniker Brewery.

• Residential Conversion: A Second Life for Westminster Street | 2:30pm - 4:30pm
  Walk ($35)
  The compact historic buildings and mixed-use blocks that give downtown Providence its charming sense of place have, over the past 30 years, been lovingly restored and creatively converted into housing and commercial space. Buff Chace, the guiding force in the revitalization of the Westminster Street corridor, will lead you through the restoration and conversion of the Lapham, Wit, and Trayne buildings which created 52 new residential units. Learn about the storied history, architectural challenges, and unique construction materials of each building, and how the project included the sleek construction of a new small-footprint building without impacting the historic integrity of the district. Lastly, enjoy a walk through the redesigned Grant's Block Park which includes a new dog park and learn about the importance of creating a green third space to increase foot traffic, improve wayfinding and safety, and cultivate community engagement in the heart of a downtown.

Friday, June 13

• Top-Down Mandates, Bottom-Up Solutions: Franklin’s Path to Revitalization | 8:30am -12:30pm
  Bus to Walk ($65)
  Explore Franklin, Massachusetts, a town embracing greater density while working to balance local control and state mandates. This tour will showcase the town's response to the MBTA Communities law requiring denser development near transit hubs. A local Council member, a prominent local developer, and representatives from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Livable Communities will illustrate the tension between local control versus state involvement in zoning decisions, as well as Franklin's embrace of the mandate as a tool to foster locally driven transit-oriented development. Participants will see firsthand how the local developer has transformed sites within the TOD districts to encourage housing diversity, walkability, and economic vitality. Walk through Franklin's downtown commercial district to explore newly built residential developments, on-going projects, and areas that have the potential to transition from single-family to higher-density, mixed-use neighborhoods.

• Revitalization and Reclamation in a Historic Riverside Mill District: Partnerships for Affordable and Healthy Housing and Parks | 8:30am - 12:30pm
  Bike to Walk ($65)
  The Olneyville neighborhood, often called Providence's second downtown, is a historic mill and immigrant housing area along the Woonasquatucket River. This tour highlights projects led by One Neighborhood Builders, a community development organization creating affordable housing and fostering vibrant, healthy communities. Participants will learn about Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone, a collaboration of 25+ stakeholders working to eliminate health barriers. The tour includes projects like Sheridan Small Homes, five net-zero energy condos designed with RISD Architecture students. Nearby is Riverside Park, a revitalized mill site with community gardens, bike paths, fish ladders, playgrounds, and a bicycle training facility, part of the Woonasquatucket Greenway. This Brownfield Showcase Community exemplifies partnerships between nonprofits and government. The tour features a bus ride across the city and a walking tour of neighborhoods and parks.

• Providence Parks Network: 20 Acres of Collaboration | 8:30am - 12:30pm
  Walk to Boat ($65)
  This tour will lead you on a 3-mile loop of the Providence Parks Network by foot and then by boat, highlighting the contiguous interconnection of 20 acres of public parks and the collaboration between the non-profit, business, and municipal sectors that make it all possible. Sites along the tour will illustrate the redevelopment of downtown public space, the activation of the waterfront including Providence's unique riverwalk, and District Park, a vibrant open space that was created as part of the relocation of a portion of Interstate I-195. As a hub of community gathering, District Park encompasses over 7 acres of contiguous walking paths and green space, the terminus of the Urban Coastal Greenway, and the award winning Michael S. Van Leesten bridge, built on the piers and abutments of the former I-195.

• Aquidneck Time Immemorial: A Ride through Historic Newport | 8:30am - 3:00pm
  Bus to Bike ($100)
  Venture outside Newport's urban core to see architectural examples from pre-contact, colonial, Gilded Age, and more recent eras on a bicycle tour hosted by Bike Newport and the Newport Historical Society, two local nonprofits working together to make Aquidneck Island culture and history accessible by bicycle. Bike Newport's Bari Freeman, Newport Historical Society's Akeia de Barros Gomes, and URI's Art Spivack will guide a seven-mile experience on pedal bikes (not electric) to experience Newport’s vibrant history from Indigenous settlement to present day. This tour will highlight the physical layout of the city; the evolution of navigating streets by foot, bike, and car; and the interwoven histories of Native Americans, European settler-colonists, people of African descent, and others who have lived and worked in Newport until now. Along the way, learn about active transportation advocacy work at the municipal and state level to improve roads for biking and walking.

• Off-site Modular Home Building: From Factory to Finished Product | 8:30am - 3:00pm
  Bus ($85)
  Take a guided tour of a cutting-edge modular home-building factory, led by experts in urban planning and engineering. Discover the innovative, software-driven process of off-site modular construction that turns digital designs into completed homes ready for occupancy. Learn how quickly deployable microfactories streamline production, adapt to local zoning and environmental conditions, and enhance efficiency. The tour also includes visits to two triple-decker homes in Somerville built using this factory. The first, completed and occupied, serves a single-family homeowner who created a multigenerational living space for their family. The second, still under construction, is owned by the Somerville Community Corporation, which acquired property owned by Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) to protect its tenants and identified space for another triple-decker. This work-in-progress offers participants a chance to see the on-site assembly process in action.

• New Investments in Newport's North End: Infrastructure, Housing, and Design to Revitalize Outdated Developments | 8:30am - 3:00pm
  Bus to Walk ($85)
  Newport's North End is home to a centuries-old US Navy Base and War College. Non-governmental land adjoining the base has undergone strip development and postwar affordable housing for several decades. Recent efforts by the City to improve the area under the Hope VI program have leveraged the principles of New Urbanism - reconstructing affordable housing, establishing a community college campus, and working to expand industries that serve the base. The Newport Pell Bridge, which connects Newport to the mainland, was built into this neighborhood in 1969 and features and outdated web of highway infrastructure. Recognized by the APA in 2023 as the top economic development plan in the nation, the soon to be completed FHWA project is converting the highway to a boulevard, building a park-and-ride, and constructing shared-use paths to better connect the area to historic downtown Newport.

• The Elephant in the Neighborhood: Ongoing Efforts to Revitalize a Landmark | 1:00pm - 4:00pm
  Bike to Walk ($60)
  The Cranston Street Armory is over 117 years old, 165,000 square feet, and the centerpiece of the Broadway-Armory Historic District. Unfortunately, it has also been vacant for over 30 years - including a listing on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 1997. Multiple efforts to find a steward for this site have fallen through, including a 2020 bid secured to reinvent the neighborhood fixture. A big "elephant in the room", the vacant Armory inspires a line of questions about how to guide investment on such a massive scale. In this tour, you will learn about the state-led, community-engaged public process to select a master developer in 2020 and how they were going to make it work.

• The Synergy of Sims Ave | 1:00pm - 4:30pm
  Bike ($60)
  Sims Avenue has been a site of great transformation and investment generated by The Woonasquatucket Vision Plan, including brownfield remediation to construct Farm Fresh RI in addition to a new pedestrian bridge, kayak launch, and pocket park. Lining Sims Avenue, Farm Fresh, The Steel Yard, the Industrious Spirit Company (ISCO), and 50 Sims create a dynamic destination for the evolving Valley Arts District. This tour will explore how Scout, a design and development practice, has transformed the 113,000 square foot manufacturing facility of 50 Sims into a hub for makers, small scale production, and workforce development. You will have the opportunity to meet tenants and learn about the creative development approach at 50 Sims. The tour will also travel to the surrounding locations of Farm Fresh, The Steel Yard, and Lit Arts to see how 50 Sims fits into the wider context of a district dedicated to shared prosperity. This tour will finish with a happy hour finale at Buttonwoods Brewery.

• A Tale of Two Cottage Courts: Cottages on Greene and Castle Street Cottages | 1:00pm - 4:30pm
  Bus to Walk ($65)
  Cottage courts strike a nice balance of increased density with forms that are sympathetic to a single family community. The historic waterfront town of East Greenwich includes two such award-winning cottage courts: Cottages on Greene and Castle Street Cottages. The Cottages on Greene, recipient of the CNU 2011 Charter Award, includes 15 detached and semi-detached cottages on just under an acre of land that was previously an auto repair shop. A range of efficient unit types helped attract residents looking for attainable housing and a sense of community. The Castle Street Cottages are located in a historic neighborhood of single family homes and cottages. By comparison, the units are a bit larger and designed for a different price point, although the project still includes a few deed-restricted affordable homes. Together, these two cottage courts provide a great sense of what's possible with the cottage court typology.

​Saturday, June 14

• New New Urbanism Neighborhoods: Boston Seaport and Assembly Row | 9:00am - 3:30pm
  Bus to Walk ($95)
  Discover urban redevelopment on the "Building the City" tour, highlighting Boston's Seaport District and Somerville's Assembly Square - of the region's most innovative neighborhoods. This tour begins in the Seaport District, where industrial waterfronts have been transformed into a vibrant, mixed-use hub. Explore adaptive reuse, innovative zoning, and waterfront resilience strategies that redefined this area. Next, visit Assembly Square in Somerville, a transit-oriented development success story. Walk through Assembly Row, a lively district blending residential, retail, and office spaces around a transit node. Learn about financing models, public-private partnerships, and multimodal design approaches behind its success. Guided by experts integral to these transformations, this tour provides actionable ideas and strategies for creating walkable, thriving neighborhoods. Whether your interest lies in adaptive reuse, waterfronts, or transit-oriented urbanism, this tour showcases the power of collaboration in city-building.

To register for tours at CNU 33, please click here.