Newton Square Master Plan Update - Public Meeting Two 05/07/2026

The City of Worcester held a public meeting on May 7, 2026, to update the Newton Square Master Plan, focusing on the Newton Hill area at Elm Park. The meeting featured presentations by eight landscape architecture students from UMass Amherst, each proposing different design concepts for the park. These designs explored themes such as historical storytelling, athletics and recreation, ecological processes, therapeutic landscapes, remediation, community building, and sustainability. The students' proposals included ideas for new recreational facilities, native and edible plantings, stormwater management, and accessible pathways. The city emphasized that these student designs serve as conceptual inputs to guide future professional design work and grant applications, with no immediate budget or construction commitments. Public attendees were encouraged to provide feedback on the designs to help shape the final master plan, which will inform future funding and development efforts for the park.