National Urban Design Experts Help Shape New Bedford’s RiverWalk Vision

The Mitchell Administration's RiverWalk/River District project in the Near North End of New Bedford will begin next year after the completion of the decades-long cleanup of toxic waste in the Acushnet River. It's an exciting time for the city and its residents, who will finally be able to enjoy all that the river has to offer.

A Long-Awaited Riverfront Transformation in New Bedford

"When I was out on a boat tour with the EPA a couple of years ago, I saw a bald eagle fly by. It turns out they've nested on the Acushnet side of the river," Mayor Jon Mitchell told attendees to his State of the City Address this spring.

Mayor Sees RiverWalk as More Than Recreation

"But we shouldn't think of the RiverWalk strictly as a recreational asset, as terrific as it will be, but as an anchor for the redevelopment of an entirely new district of the North End that is oriented around the river," he said.

National Planning Experts Help Shape the Vision

To that end, Mitchell was in Nashville recently for the 82nd National Session of the Mayor's Institute on City Design (MICD). Public Information Officer Jonathan Darling said, "The MICD is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors."

Darling said the conference "features some of the top urban planning professionals in the country." "There is a lot of potential there now that the EPA is almost done with the Acushnet River," he said.

National Experts Review New Bedford's Riverwalk Project

"Just like the South End, the public won't be walled off from the water any longer," Mitchell said in his address. "You'll finally get to take in the views of the river, and just imagine what you'll be able to see."

"All in all, building out this district will not be an overnight exercise, but if we are deliberate in our planning, this new River District could change the equation for the Near North End," said Mitchell.

Darling said the administration has gotten "various grants for the planning and design/behind-the-scenes work on the RiverWalk."

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Connecting the New Bedford's Entire Waterfront

"Another cool feature of the project is that once the RiverWalk is connected to the rest of the Blue Lane, you'll be able to walk, bike, or run the full coastline of the city," according to Mitchell.

Lessons Learned From New Bedford's HarborWalk and CoveWalk

The administration says the HarborWalk and the CoveWalk in the South End have been successful. "More people have been drawn to that part of the city than ever before," contributing to economic growth in the area, Mitchell said.

All of Mitchell's travel expenses to the conference were paid by the MICD.