Community Members Share Concerns About Future of John Hope Settlement House
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Editor’s Note:This story was originally published by the Providence Preservation Society, which is shifting to include local news coverage. Read more here and subscribe to the PPS Newsletter. As the sun was setting on August 27, about two dozen people from a variety of neighborhoods on the West Side [...]

18
Sep
Providence Unsung Heroes:  Meet Dave Talan of the Elmwood Little League
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On a sunny early summer Saturday morning in1975, one of Dave Talan’s neighbors on Santiago Street in the Reservoir Triangle neighborhood on the southside of Providence asked Dave if he would come with him to the J.T. Owens field over in the Huntington Industrial Park [...]

11
Sep
57 Federal Street in Providence’s Federal Hill. A circa 1860 Colonial house was neglected and eventually razed. Listing on the Preservation Society’s Ten Most Endangered List did not help to secure a buyer or funding for a restoration. The house was not part of a historic district. Courtesy Art in Ruins
Historic Districts in Providence: Why There Should be More
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In Providence, we have seen Historic Districts lose properties to fire, lack of maintenance and neglect, developer speculation, or just the forward march of progress.  As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” When one or two historic properties are [...]

14
Aug
Not quite a hole in one, but close
For the Public Good: Triggs Memorial Golf Course
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Triggs Memorial Golf Course, nestled between Rhode Island College and Chalkstone Avenue, is often overlooked as an extraordinary green space in Providence. From its original design to its operation today, it is recognized as one of the top municipal golf courses in the country, promoting [...]

03
Jul
The south and west sides of Providence at the turn of the 20th century.  Note the Cranston Street Armory at the top left
Gentle Density: How to Have Both Preservation and Population Growth in Providence
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On June 18th, after a 3+ hour meeting consisting primarily of public comment, the Providence City Plan Commission voted to approve the city’s draft Comprehensive Plan and send it to the City Council. Over and over, speakers expressed two things: a love for Providence, and [...]

26
Jun
Providence College, image courtesy of SLAM design thinkers blog.
Providence College and Smith Hill: Town and Gown Intersect
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On the evening of Wednesday April 3, around 40 people gathered at the Smith Hill Library on Candace Street in Providence for the second Providence College & Smith Hill Dialogue Series.  The topic, economic development.  Specifically, “how can Providence College and the community collaborate on [...]

22
May
Centennial Celebration Coming
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A hundred years ago, in May 1924, a library opened in Providence, designed and constructed with no expense spared. Knight Memorial Library was situated on the large Knight urban estate, in a neighborhood of spacious Victorian homes and carriage houses, on Elmwood Avenue. This Saturday, [...]

08
May
The battle for branch libraries took to the streets in 2006.  Photo: courtesy of the Providence Journal/Glenn Osmundson
Divorce in the Public Library
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Linda Kushner, resident of Providence, lawyer, and former Rhode Island politician, has written a book, The Fight That Saved the Libraries: A True Rhode Island Story, being published in May.  It chronicles the split between the Providence Public Library (PPL) and what became the Community [...]

17
Apr
Proposed Future Land Use Map for Providence Credit: City of Providence Planning Department
What Providence’s Proposed Zoning Changes Would Mean for Your Neighborhood
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The City of Providence’s Planning Department has released a new map showing proposed changes in growth and density in the city under its draft comprehensive plan. According to the city’s Planning Department, the proposed changes are meant to accommodate more people. Over the last Census [...]

03
Apr
Melanie Eusebio, Classical High School Senior and author of a short story selected for inclusion in the Write Rhode Island short story anthology Photo: School One
Providence’s Write Rhode Island Grows Literary Community from the Ground Up
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Rhode Island’s literary legacy stretches from 17th-century founder Roger Williams to Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri today, with connections along the way to literary titans like Margaret Fuller, Edgar Allan Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft. Today’s literary community continues to be vibrant and home grown, [...]

27
Mar