The Importance of a Strong Downtown in Fall River, MA

As legacy cities like my hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts continue to struggle to adapt to life in the post-industrial era, scholars, elected officials, and planners alike are seeking creative, innovative ways to help lift these cities up and restore some of their past successes. As someone who possesses a strong passion for Fall River and legacy cities alike, I have spent the last couple of years of my undergraduate career researching these cities, seeking to find solutions on how to help lift my hometown up. What I have found is that one of the biggest ways cities like Fall River can ignite upwards movement is by investing in its more important location; Its downtown.

Downtown revitalization is a term that many legacy cities have begun exploring, but before asking how that may come to fruition, it is important to ask what it is and why revitalization is necessary. For starters, decades worth of research and studies have revealed that robust, resilient, and highly functional downtowns are advantageous in multiple facets. Not only is a strong downtown a good incubator for commerce, but it has also been proven to represent small, family-owned businesses. Additionally, by concentrating citywide activity into one vibrant area, maintaining a strong downtown offers other untoward benefits, such as offering a sense of place for residents to help foster a sense of community, stimulating the local economy, offering various employment opportunities, or by protecting and even raising property values in surrounding residential neighborhoods. Intrinsically, these critical areas play unique roles in social and economic development, facilitating business, and cultural exchanges, as well as serving as an attraction for visitors, entrepreneurs, and young talent.

“Additionally, by concentrating citywide activity into one vibrant area, maintaining a strong downtown offers other untoward benefits, such as offering a sense of place for residents to help foster a sense of community, stimulating the local economy, offering various employment opportunities, or by protecting and even raising property values in surrounding residential neighborhoods.”

As Fall River, like many other mid-sized legacy cities across the United States, continues in its endeavor to adapt to post-industrial life, our downtown has fallen victim to the ripple effects of deindustrialization. Our once vibrant North and Main Street promenade, home to manufacturing mills, dozens of local businesses, and multiple trolley lines, is now ridden with dilapidated buildings, vandalized walls, and empty units. Without the presence of strong public transit lines, the recent commercialization of the district, and the heavy vehicular traffic, the heart and soul of Fall River is no longer as strong as it once was. Rather than being home to local family-owned Portuguese restaurants, music halls, bars, and hubs for social interaction, Fall River’s downtown is where residents find Metro PCS, a vape shop, a tattoo parlor, Boost Mobile, and law offices, none of which sufficiently attract talent or activity in sustainable ways to help maintain a strong downtown.

“Rather than being home to local family-owned Portuguese restaurants, music halls, bars, and hubs for social interaction, Fall River’s downtown is where residents find Metro PCS, vape shops, tattoo parlors, Boost Mobiles, and law offices, none of which sufficiently attract talent or activity in sustainable ways to help maintain a strong downtown.”

To find potential ideas on how to strengthen downtown Fall River, I looked at what other municipalities across the United States have done, from Northampton, Massachusetts to Bryan, Texas. After reading a research paper on the work done in Bryan, Texas, I felt that it was the perfect city to reference. In Bryan, planners placed heavy emphasis on streetscape improvements, such as historic lighting, trees, furnishing and sidewalk improvements, the restoration of historic buildings, the preservation of its cultural district, and the incentivization to attract ground-floor activities, such as restaurants, antique stores, and entertainment and cultural amenities. Now, nearly two decades later, a report issued by researchers Cecilia Giusti and Clarice Maraschin found that, “The landscape improvements and city marketing were the main causes of the increasing land values in that period”, with the city experiencing, “Persistent real growth since 2008” and a trend of rising property values in the downtown compared to the other parts of the city, indicating the true value of investment in the location.

“… Researchers Cecilia Giusti and Clarice Maraschin found that, “The landscape improvements and city marketing were the main causes of the increasing land values in that period”, with the city experiencing, “Persistent real growth since 2008”…”

With that in mind, here are six vital strategies that post-industrial legacy cities like Fall River can use to inspire change and revitalize downtown.

1. TRANSITION TO MIXED-USE ZONING: Euclidean zoning, which is the most common form of zoning in the United States, gives municipalities the right to zone localities into areas where only specific land uses are allowed, which oftentimes decentralizes activity in municipalities, exacerbating socioeconomic divides and prompting residents to drift away from downtown areas and move to car-dependent communities. By revisiting zoning laws across cities like Fall River and promoting mixed-use development, as opposed to Euclidean zoning, we can integrate and concentrate residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and entertainment uses in our downtown, which has proven to be a winning strategy in other communities.
2. LIMIT WASTEFUL PARKING LOTS: Taking full advantage of a city’s downtown begins with suppressing the prevalence of huge, wasteful parking lots. Transitioning away from these uneconomically friendly lots and implementing parking maximums (as opposed to traditional parking minimums) would not only liberate space, but would also grant local restaurants and bars the opportunity to expand outwards and build things like curbside patios, which can help mount positive atmospheres and are proven to produce as much as 49 times more revenue than parking fees.
3. INVEST IN THE ARTS: In an effort to foster a rich, vibrant atmosphere in a downtown that can attract visitors from within city lines and from outside communities, proper investment in the arts provides various opportunities to build a spirited ambiance. The construction of small concert venues, music halls, performing arts centers, and art expositions can appeal to younger and older audiences alike, raising the aesthetic value of a city while also granting the opportunity for local artists to make a name for themselves. 
4. CUT DEPENDENCE ON MOTOR VEHICLES: As aforementioned, the current downtown landscape in Fall River heavily vehicle-oriented. Decades ago, when the district was at its peak, pedestrian traffic and trolley lines connected residents to downtown. Thus, in an effort to restore the walkability of the area, various efforts can be made to reduce vehicular activity and promote foot traffic. Narrowing the roads, adding bicycle and pedestrian lanes, and increasing the number of sidewalks and crosswalks would not only make significant strides in ensuring pedestrian and biker safety, but would prompt visitors to travel up and down the main streets and engage with local shops and restaurants, helping the local economy.
5. REVITALIZE CITY PARKS: Just as public services are essential to municipalities, parks are vital in contributing to the quality of life and well-being of a community. In Fall River, the famous Kennedy Park is located within our downtown district and must be used to its fullest potential. Including Kennedy Park in revitalization efforts is beneficial in all aspects, especially since parks help improve water quality, prevent flooding, improve air quality, and offer a space for individuals to engage with nature. Thus, planting new trees, plants, and flowers, erecting park benches, building picnic tables, restoring tennis and basketball courts, and adding pet-friendly areas are just a few of the possible improvements that can increase the appeal of the park.
6. ACCOUNT FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS: Although revitalization is critical in any given downtown, it is important that all involved agencies coordinate in an effort to protect the district from becoming gentrified. Ensuring that low-income residents are protected, welcome in the area, and maintain a seat at the table is critical in community building. By building affordable housing, planners and public servants alike can help foster a positive, inclusive environment that can grant upward mobility for underprivileged individuals by allowing them direct access to all their needs.

Of course, the recipe for downtown revitalization is never as easy as a simple six-pronged strategy. However, recognizing the true value of a strong downtown is the first step in initiating the changes required. Community building takes a village to accomplish, and what better way to grow as a community than to invest in its heart of it.