Creating a renewed sense of community and economic energy

At a Glance

  • 50K

    SF New Retail Space

  • 2

    Parks/Plazas

  • 1K

    Attainable Units

Location
Hammond, Indiana
Offices
Client
  • City of Hammond, Indiana
Partners
  • Speck & Associates
Award
Congress for the New Urbanism, Merit Award 2023

Downtown Hammond Master Plan

Once among the largest cities in the state and the inspiration for the film A Christmas Story, Hammond’s downtown was now mostly empty with few residents and almost no viable retail. However, with the announcement of new commuter rail service to Chicago and the emergence of a surprisingly robust housing market, the City of Hammond saw the opportunity to jumpstart its downtown revitalization with a new master plan. They engaged our Urban Places team, along with Speck & Associates, to help.

The plan aims to retrofit Hammond’s downtown core into a walkable neighborhood. This includes public realm interventions along with real estate rehabilitation and redevelopment. The inclusion of a dramatically improved multi-modal network will help leverage future transit service and existing regional bike corridors.

Through this revitalization, the City has created a reinvigorated sense of community pride and is quickly moving to implement the master plan. By properly locating its new train station, taking advantage of housing demand, calming high-speed streets, and creating well-shaped public spaces, residents have hope that Hammond will reclaim its civic and commercial heart.

At a Glance

  • 50K

    SF New Retail Space

  • 2

    Parks/Plazas

  • 1K

    Attainable Units

Location
Hammond, Indiana
Offices
Client
  • City of Hammond, Indiana
Partners
  • Speck & Associates
Award
Congress for the New Urbanism, Merit Award 2023

Services

Markets

From car-centric to a walkable neighborhood

Courtesy of the upcoming documentary Walkable USA from House Painter Media directed by Tom Desch. The film shares Hammond, IN’s efforts converting its car-centric downtown into a place for people.