New Bedford, MA – In partnership with the Trust for Public Lands (TPL), Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) is creating a greenprint of New Bedford.
A greenprint is a map of places that matter to a community, and creating one starts with community input and leads to computer models and maps developed using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The interactive maps identify key historic and cultural assets for protection based on the observations, recollections, and local knowledge of the city’s residents.
The greenprint will give the City of New Bedford an opportunity to create a Cultural Conservation Index identifying noteworthy cultural assets such as historic buildings and park/open space preservation opportunities, and will catalog significant community-identified landmarks across the city.
Greenprinting helps communities make informed decisions about how to grow while preserving the character, environment, and quality of life in the city. The Cultural Conservation Index is designed to guide WHALE, its partners and the City of New Bedford into the future as they preserve cultural and historical assets while enhancing community and economic vitality.
The project will begin in the fall with a survey to New Bedford residents, as well as rigorous community outreach and conversation. It is anticipated that the greenprint and index will be completed by the end of 2023.
The WHALE Cultural Conservation Index is the second greenmapping project chosen for funding by the 1772 Foundation, whose mission is to ensure the safe passage of historic assets to future generations. The Historic Macon Foundation in Macon, Ga. and TPL recently completed a “Saving Places Index,” which connects Macon-Bibb County residents to places to live, work, and play in their own backyard.
