Synopsis: The last Foxborough Master Plan was conceived in 1971, the year Shaefer Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, opened outside the town center. More recently, the town undertook a detailed master planning process to develop a town-wide shared vision for Foxborough’s future, focusing on both its economic development and its Town Common.
Detailed Description: Foxborough’s Town Common has long suffered from sustained neglect and poor decision-making about historic preservation policies or lack thereof. Many of the historically significant structures by the Town Common have been torn down and replaced with poorly designed commercial buildings, including gas stations. Thus the Town Common’s spatial structure was destroyed, as was its charming presence.
Under the leadership of McCabe Enterprises, PLA conducted extensive historical research and analysis of the Town Common and its history and created digital facsimiles of how it appeared decades and centuries ago. These recreations became animations to share with the community as part of the design and planning process. This digital process enabled residents to reimagine their community in both new and old ways. Public support for reconstituting the integrity of the Town Common emerged, and design proposals and guidelines for doing so were endorsed by the community.
McCabe Enterprises, PLA, and Pare Corporation developed a master plan for Foxborough and its Town Common that represented a shared vision for the community that is rooted in an understanding of the town’s rich history.
PLA conducted extensive historical research and analysis of the Town Common and its history and created digital facsimiles of how it appeared decades and centuries ago.
