Year
2010-2011

Client
City of New London

In 2010, the Yale Urban Design Workshop was commissioned by the New London City Council to develop a new plan for the Fort Trumbull section of the City. Fort Trumbull was the subject of the landmark 2005 Kelo vs. New London Supreme Court ruling which asserted municipalities' rights to take private land by eminent domain for economic development purposes. The redevelopment effort that led to the Supreme Court case left the community fragmented and scarred by the process.

Moving beyond the controversy, the Fort Trumbull Vision proposed a framework within which the redevelopment of the site could be restarted. Based on the results of a year-long collaborative planning and community engagement process which included the City of New London, the New London Development Corporation, and a diverse group of New London citizens and stakeholders, the plan illustrates a shared vision of Fort Trumbull that can help the community move ahead through a constructive dialogue about the direction and actual shape of future development on the site. Proposed uses on the site include a Coast Guard Museum, hotel and conference center, train station, and mixed-use development.