POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY NEIGHBORHOODS

The aim of the Plan is to create desirable residential neighborhood communities of limited size, each with facilities for elementary school and recreation and with adequate open space accessible to each, rather than to permit an uninterrupted sprawl of urban development. This chapter describes the proposed development of these neighborhoods and the population to be expected.

Existing Residential Neighborhoods
Middletown is a large town in area and is traditionally divided into a number of neighborhoods. Topographic features have helped to create natural division. The old city grew up as a compact urban community close to the Connecticut and between the Mattabesset River and Sumner Brook. When Middlefield was set off from Middletown, the City was left with a narrow neck, scarcely more than two miles wide, separating the north and the south portions. Westfield and Newfield are names which have long designated neighborhoods in the north and west portions. Long Hill and Farm Hill have represented neighborhoods to the south.

The two halves of the City are almost entirely separated by the downtown business section, Wesleyan University, Long Lane Farm, the Convent of the Cenacle and the Wadsworth Falls State park, which together form an almost continuous belt, the Neighborhoods map shows the area of the City which the Plan designates as the residential neighborhoods. In the northwesterly portion, the new Interstate Route 91 will create a distinct demarcation between a rugged and rural area west of that highway and a suburban area between it and outer Washington Street and the Coginchaug River. In the southerly part, Randolph Road forms a division between rural and suburban. Route 9 separates the large area of reservations and rugged land from the rest of the community.

Analysis Areas and Residential Neighborhoods
For purposes of planning, the whole City area has been divided into fifteen analysis areas as shown on the Neighborhoods Map. The present population (1960) in each of these analysis areas has been determined with reasonable accuracy from the census records of enumeration districts. Where enumeration district boundaries do not coincide with those of the present study, adjustments have been made from field data. The resulting estimates of the 1960 households in each analysis area are given in Table 9.

Acreage in each analysis area has been measured from the map. Table 6 in the Chapter on Middletown's Land gives the total acreage of each such area and the amount of land devoted to roads, to reservations and institutions and to present building development, as well as land in swamps, flood plain, water bodies and slopes over fifteen percent. The final column gives the area of vacant land which is available and suitable for normal development.

The General Plan shows the neighborhood areas which are proposed for residential development of all types. Actually these areas establish logical residential neighborhood communities of a size to be in the human scale of Middletown. The pattern of neighborhoods is readily created in large par by the open spaces of institutional lands or by natural features. In some cases a major highway, present or proposed, determines the pattern.

Future Population, 2,000
Table 8 gives for each analysis area, the acreage of land suitable for normal development. by subtracting the areas planned for nonresidential uses, we arrive at the acreage available for housing of all types, virtually all of which falls in the portions of each analysis area shown on the Neighborhoods Map as "residential neighborhoods." The Table indicates the proposed gross density of development of the available land, making allowance for new streets, small playgrounds, auxiliary facilities such as churches, clubs or facilities of a similar nature. The density is given in terms of families per acre, varying from 1/4 (one family to 4 acres) in outlying areas to as many as 10 families to the acre in the central multifamily locations. This is the gross density of new residential development in an entire neighborhood and the net density in terms of actual lot area per family would obviously vary in different location.

Table 8 then gives the equivalent number of new families derived from the density figures, together with an estimate of the number of additional new families accounted for by multifamily projects in each neighborhood. The final column gives the resulting total number of new families to be expected under the Plan in each neighborhood.

Neighborhood K includes the southern part of the downtown district, together with residential land which will be predominantly related to Wesleyan University. It will contain a substantial proportion of multiple or group housing, partly private and partly university. It may include some public housing. The area is now almost entirely built up, so that virtually all new housing will represent one form or another of redevelopment. This area has about 5,000 residents at present. Although there will probably be a considerable relocation of families from the area due to redevelopment, the overall density is likely to increase, resulting in a growth of population her to something like 7,300.

Neighborhood L is an urban residential area in the north end of the old city. It is susceptible of conservation activities in urban renewal. It has virtually no vacant land, but many in the future contain more multiple housing, resulting in a population growth from approximately 5,000 to somewhat more than 6,000.

Neighborhood J is another urban residential area, although it has considerable spots of mixed uses. It will need redevelopment and conservation activities to insure its future. Redevelopment and highway construction will result in some relocation from the area. There is only a small amount of vacant land available for residential use. This area may be the location of one or more public housing projects. Its present population is slightly more than 2,000. This may increase to about 3,000 due to multiple housing development.

Neighborhood H has some vacant land available for housing. Part of this may be developed for multiple housing projects. The population may be expected to rise from somewhat less than 2,500 to around 3,500. In Neighborhood I there are about 200 acres of land available for residential development. some of this may be used for apartment projects of the garden type. The population is likely to increase from approximately 1,800 to more than twice this figure.

TABLE 8
STUDY OF FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT BY NEIGHBORHOODS

Analysis Areas	Land Suitable for Normal Development	Areas Planned for Non-Residential Use	Areas Planned for Residential Use		Proposed Gross Density for Development	Equivalent New Families
	Acres	Acres	Acres	Aces	Families Per Acre
A	1,250	360	890		1-1/2	1,335
B	1,120	180	940			1,120
				(a) 290	1/2		(a) 145
				(b) 650	1-1/2		(b) 975
C	330	10	320			1,160
				(a) 150	1-1/2		(a) 220
				(b) 70	2		(b) 140
				(c) 100	8 multifamily		(c) 800
D	295	20	275			925
				(a) 215	2		(a) 445
				(b) 60	8 multifamily		(b) 480
E	285	35	250			560
				(a) 40	1/2		(a) 20
				(b) 190	2		(b) 380
				(c) 20	8 multifamily		(c) 160
F	1,400	125	1,275			1,020
				(a) 770	1/4		(a) 190
				(b) 440	1		(b) 440
				(c) 65	6 multifamily		(c) 390
G	1,250	100	1,150			1,020
				(a) 510	1/4		(a) 130
				(b) 590	1		(b) 590
				(c) 50	6 multifamily		(c) 300
H	110	25	80			340
				(a) 50	2		(a) 100
				(b) 30	8 multifamily		(b) 240
I	220	15	205			800
				(a) 140	2		(a) 280
				(b) 65	8 multifamily		(b) 520
J	20		40*		8 multifamily	300
K	20	20	73		10 multifamily	740
L	15	15	52*		8 multifamily	420
M	1,150	600	550			680
				(a) 260	1/4		(a) 65
				(b) 160	1-1/2		(b) 235
				(c) 100	2		(c) 200
				(d) 30	6 multifamily		(d) 180
N	1,300	850	450		1/2	200
O	100	100	0		No Residence	-5
Totals	8,865	2,275	6,550			10,635

* Indicates additional land available through urban renewal.
Multifamily indicates row houses, town houses, housing projects and other multifamily use.

The other neighborhoods are less urban in character and contain much larger acreages available for residential growth, but the average density of development will be lower than in those just described. The population to be expected in each is shown in Table 9.

Table 9 gives for each neighborhood the present number of families, the new families to be expected and the total number of families when the 2,000, or "target" population is reached. The future family size is estimated, based on the eventual character of the neighborhood. The final column gives the estimated 2000 population for each neighborhood. These figures are the basis for the plans for facilities and utilities to serve the various areas.

TABLE 9
2000 POPULATION BY NEIGHBORHOODS

Neighborhood Area	1960 Occupied Units	Total New Families	Total Future Families	Estimated Family Size	Equivalent 2000 Population
A	380	1,335	1,715	3.5	6,000
B	450	1,120	1,570	3.5	5,500
C	460	1,160	1,620	3.5	5,670
D	670	925	1,595	3.5	5,580
E	500	560	1,060	3.5	3,710
F	175	1,020	1,195	3.5	4,180
G	350	1,020	1,370	3.5	4,800
H	750	340	1,090	3.2	3,490
I	560	800	1,360	3.2	4,350
J	690	300	990	3.2	3,170
K	1,880	740	2,620	2.7	7,070
L	1,580	420	2,000	3.2	6,400
M	420	680	1,100	3.5	3,850
N	130	220	350	3.5	1,230
O	5	5	-	-	-
Totals	9,000	10,635	19,635	3.3	65,000

City of Middletown Website