The Town of East Hartford is leading the way by focusing on Silver Lane, served by buses and CTfastrak, to target development in town.

Hartford is not too small but too dispersed. The wide dispersion of mills along the river tributaries created population and work centers all across the valley. We need to promote higher density concentrations in order to create livable, walkable, sustainable centers, add population, create jobs, attract and retain talent. The region has very low density, especially compared to New York and Boston.

Few project ideas provide as much strength to this concept as North Atlantic Rail.

The region has not yet fully leveraged the value of its mid-point location between the megaregions’ two major metropolitan centers. The high cost of living and housing in Boston and New York positions Hartford as an attractive mid-size city with urban assets at an affordable price with room to grow. The Valley’s inland position will also be a growing asset as coastal cities contend with rising sea levels and shoreline loss.

Invest in quality-of-place amenities throughout our region in order to retain and attract talent. Examples of this could be trails, parks and plazas, mobility assets, community spaces, quality schools, and other assets that contribute to a sense of community. The Valley can better support its assets through funding at a regional scale, as nearly every other state funds through county governments. These funding structures enhance collective ownership and equitably tie regional use of assets to their funding.

Increase actual and perceived connectivity of downtowns and town centers by having both housing and workplaces co-located in order to reduce travel demand. Continue preparing sites for development, through brownfields remediation and infrastructure projects; grow our urban centers to dramatically increase our urban population and density in walkable, vibrant centers near transit.

Develop Hartford and East Hartford as twin cities which grow together across the Connecticut River. As these centers grow, create more connectivity across the river that bypasses the Interstate system, ideally by way of two or three local street bridges. This greater cohesion will capitalize on the attractiveness of waterfront living, and share economic benefits between municipalities, that would then amplify across the region.

Promote the region as an affordable alternative with big city amenities without big city costs, as a place to stay and pursue a career, raise a family, and call home.

To support the region’s countless small businesses, a “Buy Local. Play Local.” campaign that encourages residents to visit businesses and attractions that contribute to the local economy will create more economic opportunities at home. With that, we should expand internal tourism and promote resident habits of visiting sites and centers around the valley to spur economy activity.