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City Walk

Currently funded City Walk projects are in two phases. Click to zoom in. City Walk Street Team members get community input to integrate into plans Community leaders showed the City what City Walk should look like in April 2018 Community members described what City Walk should be in December 2017. These were the most common words.

City Walk was initiated by the Jewelry District Association, The Providence Foundation, and LIRIO Landscape Architecture and is now incorporated as a part of a citywide Urban Train initiative that will:

  • strengthen connections between nine Providence neighborhoods, parks, and civic institutions;
  • improve safety for people traveling by all modes; and
  • celebrate the diversity and culture of Providence neighborhoods through public art, wayfinding signage, and vibrant public places.

With funding from the City’s Capital Improvement Plan and the State Transportation Improvement Program, the City completed improvements along Clifford Street in Downtown and Pine and Friendship streets in South Providence in early 2020. By Spring 2022, the City will begin construction on improvements along Broad Street (between Roger Williams Park and Elmwood Avenue) that will include milling and repaving the roadway, making crosswalks safer and ADA compliant, installing new planters, and additional safety improvements that will reduce speeding, make bus stops safer and more efficient, and make Broad Street safer and more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to walk, run, bike, skateboard and use other modes of active transportation.

Since 2017, work on this initiative has been conducted by the City of Providence with support from Toole Design Group, McMahon Associates, Street Plans, and Horsley Witten Group. Prior to 2017, the concept of City Walk was initiated by neighborhood groups, community organizations, and L+A Landscape Architecture (LIRIO Landscape Architecture). The idea has since been incorporated into the larger citywide Urban Trail Network. To learn more about the Urban Trail Network please visit the Great Streets Initiative page.

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Follow the project on Facebook and Twitter: #CityWalkPVD

Calendar of Events

Fifth Community Meeting
October 21, 2021 | Join us for a virtual public information session to learn more about planned improvements to make Broad Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and using RIPTA.

Fourth Community Meeting
November 16, 2020 | Join us for a virtual public information session to learn more about planned improvements to make Broad Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and using RIPTA.

View the event presentation here.

Third Community Meeting (cancelled due to COVID-19)
March 10, 2020 | Bomes Theater – Hear updates on how City Walk is going and the status of the project. In addition to City Walk improvements on Broad Street, hear about the Great Streets Initiative and plans to make several neighborhood streets safer.

Demonstration Project

Friday & Saturday, June 15 & 16, 2018 | Broad Street between Public Street and Potters Ave – A temporary party in the street to see how the community’s ideas for Broad Street work in real life. Check out the video about the demonstration:

Second Community Meeting
Saturday, April 14, 2018 | Calvary Baptist Church – Community members learned about the Demonstration Project, showed how they wanted Broad Street to be arranged, and heard updates about design plans for Clifford Street through the 195 land, Friendship Street, and Pine Street.

First Community Meeting
Tuesday, November 28, 2017 | Southside Cultural Center – Project neighbors learned about the vision for City Walk and opportunities to share their visions for the future of Broad Street, Clifford Street through the 195 land, and Friendship & Pine streets through Upper South Providence.

Project Documents

Presentations, reports, maps, and other documents will be posted here. Check back periodically for updates!

Contact Us

Alex Ellis, Principal Planner
401-680-8522

Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Twitter: @ProvPlanning

In addition to the community meetings listed above, the City will conduct a robust community engagement process that will help inform the project as it moves forward. Additional community engagement will include:

  • Holding focus group meetings with specific groups such as merchant organizations;
  • Conducting stakeholder interviews with community leaders and major stakeholders;
  • Employing local residents as part of Street Teams who will attend community events such as festivals to talk to residents about the project and gather feedback; and
  • Engaging Providence youth in youth-specific activities and events.

Stay tuned for additional information!

Whenever possible, the City brings the planning process to existing community gathering places. This includes attending standing community meetings, tabling at special events, and canvassing out in the neighborhood. If you are interested in having City staff or our Street Team members conduct outreach at your event, please contact Alex Ellis at 401-680-8522 or .