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
Learning to fish at Roger Williams Park Photo courtesy of Providence Urban Wildlife Conservation Partnership
Rewilding Roger Williams: How Did Fish Get into the Park’s Ponds?
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On any nice day at Roger Williams Park, among the strollers, bird watchers, and zoo visitors, there’s often a cohort of folks fishing.  In fact, today, June 26th, would-be anglers of all sorts will be there for the Annual Freshwater Fishing Event. Bass, stripers, and [...]

26
Jun
Green Future Episode 2
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Play podcast:   Our names are Eliza, Emma, and Eddie, and we are 8th graders who attend the Wheeler Cityside program in Providence. We are really interested in sustainability and climate activism. As young people, it sometimes can be difficult for us to help make [...]

25
Jun
Green Future Episode 1
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Play podcast:   Our names are Eliza, Emma, and Eddie, and we are 8th graders who attend the Wheeler Cityside program in Providence. We are really interested in sustainability and climate activism. As young people, it sometimes can be difficult for us to help make [...]

25
Jun
RI KIDS Count Executive Director Paige Clausius-Parks explains school funding to parents and students at CCRI on May 11.
“Our education just isn’t important enough.” School Budget Measures the City’s Commitment to Children
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One after another, Providence Schools students and parents stepped up to the mic at the City Council on June 11 to demand that the city increase its appropriation to public schools by $20 million in the coming school year. Their passion and anger at the [...]

19
Jun
British suffragette chained to avoid arrest.
Civics Education is the Lifeblood of Democracy
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Do we believe our votes make any difference? Are those who fought to extend the franchise to the landless, the formerly enslaved, to women, to Native Americans and others, forgotten? My great great Aunt Harriet, in her mid-forties, chained herself to the railings outside the [...]

19
Jun
Nathan Bishop: “He Could Do More Work With Less Noise Than Any Man…”
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Searching “Nathan Bishop” to understand why Providence decided to name a school for him in the 1930s, one might find an Englishman who briefly played goal for soccer team Manchester United, or a Toronto-based singer-songwriter, but also the fascinating, modest, hard-working man after whom Nathan [...]

12
Jun
Photo courtesy of worldatlas.com
The Comprehensive Plan: What People Are Saying
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On May 30 and June 3, Providence Preservation Society (PPS) hosted community conversations about the city’s emerging Comprehensive Plan in the nonprofit’s second-floor meeting space on College Hill.  In all, about 75 people turned up to hear short reflections on the Plan offered by advocates [...]

12
Jun
Port of Providence
What’s Wrong with the Land Use Plan?
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Editor’s Note: Providence is currently engaged in a once a decade endeavor, writing its Comprehensive Plan, and this Comp Plan will be the foundation for zoning and development decisions throughout the city.  The Providence Eye will be publishing discussions about specific sections now under consideration.  [...]

05
Jun
Truck and car traffic and construction equipment along Route 10 next to a residential neighborhood
How Clean is Providence’s Air?
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Everybody breathes, so clean air is critical to everyone’s health. Poor air quality is especially dangerous to people who are active outside, particularly outdoor workers, and to sensitive individuals, including older adults, children, and people with cardiac and respiratory conditions. How is air quality classified? [...]

05
Jun