Hinsdale-Brattleboro Greenway
The Hinsdale-Brattleboro Greenway creates a new, community informed vision for the reuse of the Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana Bridges and Hinsdale Island, the former crossing site of Rte 119. The proposed design connects the towns of Brattleboro, VT and Hinsdale NH across the Connecticut River with a bicycle and pedestrian spine, which in turn anchors vibrant outdoor public spaces. Recreation and conservation goals set forth by local stakeholders are balanced in a way that creates a series of new public spaces that respond to local community needs, improve the ecological function of Hinsdale Island,and are rooted to the surrounding landscape.
Project Location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire and Brattleboro, Vermont
Landscape Architect: studio FARM landscape architects
Project Collaborators: Town of Hinsdale, Town of Brattleboro, Southwest Regional Planning Commission, Windham Regional Commission
In the News:
Voices: Restoring Bridges Would Benefit Brattleboro - The Commons
Hinsdale Brattleboro Greenway Project - Southwest Regional Planning Commission
Designs for Island Mix Recreation, Conservation - The Commons
Loose sketches were used throughout the public engagement process to quickly explore design ideas and build stakeholder consensus around a number of proposed public spaces, such as the rock scramble, community amphitheater, and wildlife platforms.
Loose sketches were used throughout the public engagement process to quickly explore design ideas and build stakeholder consensus around a number of proposed public spaces, such as the rock scramble, community amphitheater, and wildlife platforms.
The project balances the needs for recreation, conservation, and flood resilience through strategically located design interventions. Public spaces and infrastructure are clustered on the higher elevations found on the western edge of the island to limit disturbance to the island's wetlands. As visitors move east along the greenway, active recreation is replaced by conservation spaces and more passive activities including walking trails, fishing spots, and wildlife viewing platforms.
The project balances the needs for recreation, conservation, and flood resilience through strategically located design interventions. Public spaces and infrastructure are clustered on the higher elevations found on the western edge of the island to limit disturbance to the island's wetlands. As visitors move east along the greenway, active recreation is replaced by conservation spaces and more passive activities including walking trails, fishing spots, and wildlife viewing platforms.
Careful study of nighttime conditions informed the lighting plan, which aims to improve public safety, highlight the Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana bridges as community assets, while minimizing light pollution. The main spine is lit for nighttime use, while programmable lights are used to highlight the red superstructure of the bridges as a local landmark.
Careful study of nighttime conditions informed the lighting plan, which aims to improve public safety, highlight the Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana bridges as community assets, while minimizing light pollution. The main spine is lit for nighttime use, while programmable lights are used to highlight the red superstructure of the bridges as a local landmark.
Embedded within the larger park programming are a collection of 'safe to fail' experiments designed to collect data on two land management best practices. Along the main greenway, compost blankets will be used to stabilize the meadow covered earth forms and erosion will be measured over time. Different compost blanket thicknesses will be applied in randomized complete block design to determine the ideal depth for erosion control and meadow establishment. In a low flood channel on the upstream side of the island, leaky dams will be used to slow floodwaters and encourage sediment to drop out of suspension, building up land form over time. Sediment accumulation will be measured and evaluated to determine if leaky dams are an effective passive strategy to build up land in riverine environments.
Embedded within the larger park programming are a collection of 'safe to fail' experiments designed to collect data on two land management best practices. Along the main greenway, compost blankets will be used to stabilize the meadow covered earth forms and erosion will be measured over time. Different compost blanket thicknesses will be applied in randomized complete block design to determine the ideal depth for erosion control and meadow establishment. In a low flood channel on the upstream side of the island, leaky dams will be used to slow floodwaters and encourage sediment to drop out of suspension, building up land form over time. Sediment accumulation will be measured and evaluated to determine if leaky dams are an effective passive strategy to build up land in riverine environments.