| American cities have been struggling with suburban sprawl and urban flight for the last fifty years. With rising costs, lengthening commutes, limited resources and shrinking open land, many residents are reconsidering life outside the city. If communities are to reevaluate their settlement patterns and look to new life in the urban center, to what extent can urban design and architecture re-weave and revive a once thriving district on the verge of collapse?; Downtown Newport News has witnessed an urban flight, leaving the city abandoned and deteriorating. This thesis will propose to reconnect midtown with the Parkside community to provide public amenity, increased access, and future growth potential, serving as a prototype for development within Newport News and beyond. A variety of housing options will be explored, with the premise that instead of providing only parking for the shipyard, the city should provide housing options, close to work and other amenities that can result from a dynamic urban waterfront community. |
