A Vision for Exeter Earns BLSA Award

Dodson & Flinker has won a merit award in the Landscape Analysis and Planning category from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects for the project and report A Vision for Exeter. Peter Flinker will receive the award at the 2012 BSLA Gala in Boston on April 26th.

Rural Exeter, Rhode Island has no village center, and most of the town is zoned for 3-4 acre house lots – a recipe for suburban sprawl.  First, the consulting team helped the town draw up a “Game Plan for our Future” that described a vision for transferring growth from the countryside into one or more new villages.  Then the team assessed potential village locations and created a design template for what a sustainable village can and should be in the 21st Century.  Extensive analysis of economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits empowered residents to decide for themselves whether village development is a good fit for Exeter, and they responded with strong support for new village zoning ordinances that will help make the vision a reality.