The Hollow Choice Neighborhood Plan
Urban Planning + Community Engagement
The Hollow Choice Neighborhood Plan seeks to create a forward-looking plan focused on people, housing, and neighborhood. This Plan is focused on redeveloping existing distressed public housing in three different sites into mixed-income developments while identifying additional investments for the The Hollow neighborhood.
In 2023, Bridgeport, CT was awarded a HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant for the Hollow Neighborhood, one of only 14 communities selected nationwide. The grant supports collaboration with residents and stakeholders—nonprofits, service agencies, faith-based groups, and businesses—to create a forward-looking plan centered on people, housing, and neighborhood revitalization. Home to over 10,000 residents, the Hollow is a historically immigrant community first settled by Irish and English families in the 1830s. Today, 40% of residents are foreign-born, with Hispanic, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cape Verdean communities shaping its vibrant identity. Borderless Studio, as planning coordinator, is leading a two-year process to reimagine the Charles F. Greene Homes and craft a resilient, mixed-income neighborhood that celebrates culture, connection, and equity.
Approach:
Revitalizing the Hollow with Community at the Core
The plan focuses on People, Housing, and Neighborhood—supporting residents through education, health, and employment; improving housing quality, affordability, and design; and enhancing the neighborhood with open space, transit, services, and cultural identity. This comprehensive approach aims to improve both living conditions and overall quality of life in the Hollow.
Process:
Shaping a Collaborative Vision
This planning process actively collaborates with residents and community stakeholders—nonprofits, community organizations, service agencies, businesses, and others—to shape a forward-looking plan centered on people, housing, and neighborhood. Through engagement activities such as meetings, workshops, and working group sessions, the team gathers diverse insights to inform plan strategies and future projects.
Diverse housing for different household types
The Housing Plan replaces the 270 severely distressed units at Charles F. Greene Site with 548 mixed-income units across 10 development sites, offering diverse housing types to accommodate different household needs. The new units include 49% public housing and 42% affordable housing (between 30-80% AMI).
