Town Center Revitalization
The traditional New England village is a pattern of development that has served Cape Cod well for 350 years. APCC recently assisted several Cape towns in efforts to revitalize and redevelop their town or village centers. Reducing growth in outlying natural resource areas while promoting growth in existing town centers helps protect the Cape’s environment and discourage the sprawling development that has occurred on Cape Cod in recent decades. At the same time, revitalized, mixed use town centers provide opportunities for economic development, create additional housing, and help decrease the region’s reliance on automobiles.
In 2003, APCC provided the town of Dennis with conceptual visualizations of how Dennisport village center could appear if zoning were changed to allow increased height and a mix of commercial and residential uses. These visualizations were followed in subsequent years by other visualizations APCC produced for Main Street in Orleans, North Falmouth, downtown Hyannis and the East Harwich commercial district. The resulting visualizations depict desirable communities that are harmonious with Cape Cod’s charm and character.