by Laura Glesby
Which is the best way to respect the history of the New Haven Green: Pedestrianizing the part of Temple Street that runs through the middle or keeping the road open to cars?
The Historic District Commission found itself divided on that question at a Thursday special meeting about proposed changes to the New Haven Green.
The meeting took place nearly one year after the city accepted a $4 million state grant to fund traffic safety improvements to the Green and the surrounding area — part of a broader plan to add new elements to the city’s central greenspace.
Specifically, the city intends to transform the strip of Temple Street that runs through the middle of the Green into a “woonerf,” a pedestrian-friendly path that can also accommodate slow-moving cars.
The bus stops along Temple Street would be relocated to Elm Street as part of a forthcoming Bus Rapid Transit system.
The city is also proposing to install raised crosswalks around the Green, build a cafe with outdoor seating, add vendor spaces where bus shelters currently stand, and expand the paved area around the fountain, among other changes.
As of July 2025, the city has retracted previous proposals for a playground and a permanent, concrete stage. In addition, while the Temple Street woonerf was initially envisioned as a curvy pathway, the city is now planning to keep the path straight in keeping with the street’s current configuration. According to an update on the city website, the changes were made in response to community feedback.
Since the New Haven Green is a National Historic Landmark, the plans for the Green will reappear before the commission for a formal review under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
On Thursday, however, no formal review was on the table. Rather, the commissioners convened to brainstorm the contents of a letter they plan to write in response to what the city has so far released.
As Commission Chair Trina Learned explained on Thursday, “the Historic District Commission is not in charge of the Green. But we are, through the certified local government, charged with offering opinions on historic preservation as and when necessary.”
The commissioners decided to examine the proposal as a “rehabilitation” effort under the Secretary of the Interior’s standards.
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