Author / Sean Christensen

Suisman Urban Design and the iQuilt Partnership have been selected by the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design to receive the 2022 Witte-Sakamoto Family Medal in City and Regional Planning for Hartford 400. The medal, bestowed annually by the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design to an outstanding plan in the…

Suisman Urban Design has received the 2022 Honor Award in Urban Design from the American Institute of Architects / California for the firm’s Hartford 400 plan. The Honor Award is AIA California’s highest recognition for urban design. The Hartford 400 plan is a broad, river-centered vision for the 1,000 square mile Connecticut Valley region around the capital…

This morning Rep. John B. Larson was joined by Senator Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, CT Treasurere Shawn Wooden, and Jay Williams of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving at a press conference to promote Hartford400. The press conference took place at the historic Keney Tower, an important landmark of Hartford’s North End, and…

Doug Suisman recently talked with Dan Dankosky of the CT Mirror on his podcast Steady Habits about Hartford 400. They discussed the origins of Hartford 400 and the benefits for the Connecticut Valley, as well as its three main transformative projects: RiverRoad, MidTown, and the hARTline. Listen to Part 1 and Part 2.

CityLab recently published an article about the Hartford Line, Connecticut’s first commuter rail service. The Hartford Line connects Springfield, MA and New Haven, CT, with eight stops along the 62-mile line. Doug Suisman is quoted in the article, talking about The iQuilt Plan, and how rail is integral to the vision:

Suisman Urban Design, with help from The iQuilt Partnership, wrote, designed, and published a book chronicling all the projects (large and small) that have contributed to the revitalization of Downtown Hartford over the last ten years, beginning in 2008 when SUD began working in the city.

The improvement plan for Burlington, VT’s City Hall Park is moving forward! Construction documents are complete and have gone out for bid. For more information on the City Hall Park project, visit Burlington Parks and the Great Streets BTV sites.

St. Paul Street in Burlington, VT is getting an upgrade. Part of the Suisman-led Great Streets BTV Initiative, the improved streetscape elements include:

The renovation of the dinosaur fountains on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is now complete! The refreshed twenty-five year old fountains blend in with Suisman’s update of the street’s overall look and furnishings. With repaired concrete basins, new blue tile, and new lighting, these dino fountains have never looked better!  

The city of Hartford has just won a Silver-level “Walk Friendly City” designation from Walk Friendly Communities (WFC), a national organization devoted to promoting urban walkability. Hartford is the first city in Connecticut to win the designation at any level, and its Silver rating puts it in the company of such walkable cities as Burlington,…