Challenges
The City of Meriden faces many challenges common to communities that were founded in the 1700’s and which have developed over time. The community began as an agrarian society, with a town center acting as a center for commerce. The town center provided government, trade and business support for the surrounding farmland.
With the industrial revolution, factories became an important component of the community, providing non-farm related jobs. As a result, population shifted and density at the town center increased. The subsequent development of the city included more dense housing and more support activities.
Through this process, a true mixed-use community was formed. Although to some degree there was a separation among uses in the city, generally all uses were within walking distance of each other. This pattern of use and its supporting infrastructure was developed prior to the full impact of the automobile on city life. Housing was relatively dense, and there was pedestrian access to industry and commercial areas for the city’s population. Conversely, the structure of business was dependent on the number of people in the immediate area. Although this period was not without problems, the sense of community was strong because the activities of daily life occurred in a relatively small area and were mutually reinforcing.
This pattern changed after World War II as the population disbursed. This dispersion affected all aspects of life, including housing, business, industry and commercial activity. There were two primary catalysts for this dispersion. First, the post war “baby boom” increased the need for housing beyond the available stock. Second, economic prosperity increased the ownership of personal automobiles. There was a desire to escape the problems of the cities, and a desire for personal home ownership. The automobile allowed people to fulfill those desires by moving to homes outside of the city.
Business and industry developed in suburban areas as well, taking advantage of low land costs and the more mobile workforce. Commercial areas also developed in the suburbs to respond to the growing population and increased business activity outside the city.
During the same period, Planning and Zoning criteria were developed to create separate zones for activities such as housing, commercial, business and industrial uses. This planning construct encouraged travel from one zone to another in the automobile. Highways were introduced, further encouraging the geographic expansion of the community. As a result, in many cases the city centers deteriorated, and the mixed-use urban community was effectively dismantled.
Part of this planning included the introduction of very dense housing in the city. This model was based on the idea that people could live in towers, surrounded with bucolic green space. Unfortunately, the green space envisioned in the concept stage was in reality often filled with parking. The design model was not achieved. The towers also failed to replicate the sense of neighborhood that was characteristic of the less dense housing of the past. With the increased density and the reduction of common space, the neighbors became less familiar with one another. It became more difficult to control outsiders passing through the housing areas. The sense of neighborhood and community diminished, and problems such as crime increased.
The current model of this dispersed society has matured, and the lessons learned are reshaping many city centers throughout the country. There is now a strong movement to integrate the resources from the past with contemporary technology and business activity. There is also an increasing recognition of the benefits that come from creating smaller, defensible residential neighborhoods. The result can be a modern version of the mixed-use society and a revitalization of a city’s center.
To achieve these goals, there must be an integrated plan. Every city has its own set of challenges and opportunities. The following are specific components of planning that must be addressed to create a successful regeneration of the City of Meriden.
The material on this page is reproduced from "Meriden City Center Initiative - A Comprehensive Plan for Revitalization" prepared by BL Companies, released 07/24/2002. All rights reserved.
