CNU Public Square Features Four Union Projects
From Main Streets to Missing Middle housing, these recently featured projects create and re‑energize public spaces, provide solutions for missing middle housing, and undertake climate adaptation and resiliency planning.
Westminster Street Revitalization – Bringing a street and public space to life
Westminster Street in Providence (Downcity) had all the ingredients—historic buildings, tight-knit street network—but lacked vibrancy. Union Studio teamed with developer Cornish Associates to revitalize it. Their design balances historic preservation with modern infill and introduces inviting public spaces, including the new Grant’s Block Park and flexible café seating, re‑energizing the downtown social and economic life.
Eastdale Main Street Village – A Main Street model for New York State
This project reimagines a low‑density highway corridor—State Route 44—as a four‑block Main Street village. With sidewalks, bump‑outs, on‑street parking, and mixed‑use buildings, Eastdale Village supports over 400 residences plus 120,000 sq ft of retail, office, and public space (dog park, green, bocce court).
House of the Seven Gables – Block‑Scale Urbanism Adapts Historic Campus to Climate Change (Salem, MA)
Historic Salem’s House of the Seven Gables sits flood‑prone. This 2.5‑acre, block‑scale plan outlines a phased, 50‑year climate‑responsive strategy, using flood triggers—not dates—to adaptively protect basements, utilities, and streets. Ultimately, it reorients buildings into a central courtyard and converts harbor‑front lots into resilient open green space.
Modeling Missing Middle Across an Unaffordable Region (Cape Cod, MA)
Cape Cod faces a housing squeeze with 82% single‑family stock and an influx of second‑home buyers. Union Studio’s Cape Cod Resiliency study outlines traditional Missing Middle—duplexes, townhouses, small apartments—at 5× current density while fitting local character.