Incomplete and Incremental Plan Implementation in Downtown Providence,Rhode Island,1960-2000

Abstract

Between 1960 and 2000, Providence, Rhode Island, transformed its downtown through physical redevelopment. This article examines the proposals and implementation of seven major downtown plans issued for Providence during this period. Each plan proposed significant physical changes like the redevelopment of city blocks, the relocation of railroads, or the construction of open space. Despite Providence's successful redevelopment reputation, the study found that Providence's downtown plan implementation was both incomplete and incremental. Only four of the seven plans issued experienced any implementation during the study period, and of those four plans, only one had more than half of its recommendations implemented. Incremental implementation occurred when unimplemented plan ideas were proposed by later plans and subsequently realized.