Nashua Downtown Master Plan
views, focus groups meetings, public
meetings and open houses, culminating
ina public design charrette.
The UDA team began the planning
process with a two-day data gathering
trip to Nashua in August 2002. During
this visit, the team conducted focus
group meetings and interviews. In addi-
tion, the UDA team photographed the
Downtown, and conducted site recon-
naissance in order to become familiar
with the region, Nashua, and especially
its Downtown. At the same time, data
was collected on land use, zoning, market
research, and transportation. Addition-
ally, the team documented precedents
from similar Merrimack Valley river
towns. (Lowell, Lawrence, and Haver-
hill.)
In September 2002, the UDA team
traveled to Nashua for additional meet-
ings. The purpose of this trip was to con-
duct a public meeting and additional
focus group meetings.
The data gathering phase resulted in
an extensive set of UDA X-Ray drawings
and precedent drawings that proved
instrumental throughout the process.
The second phase of the project began
with a work session in UDA’ office in
Pittsburgh. The UDA team and the City
staff met to prepare for the design
charette. One result of the work session
was a set of design principles.
The majority of Phase Two occurred
during a week-long design charrette con-
ducted on Main Street in Nashua at the
former Goodale’s Bike Shop. During the
week, the focus groups reconvened, the
Steering Committee met twice, and open
houses were held. Concurrent with these
meetings, the UDA team developed
plans, tested ideas, and continuously
revised and refined designs according to
ongoing stakeholder and citizen input.
Phase Two of the process culminated
in a public meeting on Thursday night at
which the design for Downtown Nashua
were presented and additional citizen
input was collected.
Based upon feedback from the public
meeting and the Steering Committee,
and the city staff, the UDA team pre-
pared a draft plan for review and com-
ment. This plan, upon adoption by the
City, will become the blueprint for
Downtown Nashua’s development over
the next ten years.
