Nashua Downtown Master Plan
I X-Rays A UDA X-RAY DRAWING ALLOws the Design team to better IO
understand the study area, as well as illustrating for city resi-
dents and stakeholders the myriad assets and natural patterns
found throughout the City. An X-Ray drawing isolates a phys-
ical element or category of land use (such as streets) to illus~
trate patterns and opportunities difficult to perceive when
combined in a single drawing. By studying the various natural
and man-made systems, urban designers can unveil the under-
lying patterns, problems, and opportunities of a project area.
Often, from these natural, historic, and development patterns,
the beginnings of strategies and solutions emerge.
UDA X-Rays are drawn at several scales. By examining the
site within the context of the region, city, and immediate study
area, one can begin to see the physical forces that impact and
influence it. In the case of Nashua’s Downtown, X-Ray draw-
ings at the regional scale illustrate the City’s strategic location
within the region, while X-Rays at the site scale depict the
immediate patterns of the built and natural landscape within
the boundaries of the City.
The study area for the
Plan is centered on ea
Main Street but
extends east and west
to include the adjacent
neighborboods and cross
streets— the extent of
the historic and
traditional
Downtown.
