Mullin, John

Job Title

Emeritus Professor of Regional Planning

Last Name

Mullin

First Name

John

Discipline

Architecture
Economics

Introduction

Dr. John R. Mullin is a Professor of Urban Planning in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and Associate Director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts (UMass). Between September 2001 and August 2012 he served as Vice Chancellor/Vice Provost for Outreach and Dean of the Graduate School. His research interests focus upon industrial revitalization, port development and downtown revitalization. Dr. Mullin has written or edited over 100 book chapters, book reviews, technical reports, journal articles and conference proceedings. He is a Fulbright Scholar, charter member of the Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the recipient of the Chancellor's Medal, the highest honor bestowed to faculty at UMass Amherst. He is a retired, federally recognized, Brigadier General from the Army National Guard.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 47

Open Access
Boxborough Economic Development Study: Phase 2, Technical Memo
(2020-01) Renski, Henry; Mullin, John; Barchers, Camille
The Town of Boxborough’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) contracted with the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to produce an economic development study. Phase II began in January of 2020 and provides a deeper evaluation of the development scenarios proposed at the completion of Phase I, involving four key components: 1. Summarize the results from a survey of citizen preferences on the Phase I scenarios. 2. Produce a series of "vignettes" to explain the key elements of the different scenarios to the public. 3. Assess the potential market demand for specific office, retail, and other commercial activities discussed in the Phase I scenarios. 4. Convene two ‘virtual’ community discussion sessions to identify town-wide development priorities and possible short-term actions.
Open Access
From Mill Town to Mill Town: The Transition of a New England Town from a Textile to a High-Technology Economy
(1986) Mullin, John; Armstrong, Jeanne; Kavanagh, Jean
This article describes and analyzes the economic transformation of Maynard, Massachusetts. Located twenty-six miles west of Boston, Maynard was the home of the world's largest woolen mill. In 1950 the mill closed and 1,200 jobs were lost. During the next ten years, the town gradually recovered as the mill became the home of several innovative companies. Ultimately, the mill became the headquarters for the world's largest manufacturer of minicomputers. The circle is now complete: the mill is full and houses a company that claims a "world's largest" designation. The article analyses the rise and fall of the American Woolen Company; examines the steps taken to stimulate recovery, and their results; identifies and examines the important elements that led to the economic transformation; and offers potential lessons for planners in towns undergoing similar changes.
Open Access
Partnerships and the Fiscal Implications of Planning and Development: A Case Study of Maynard, Massachusetts
(2008-01) Kotval, Zenia; Mullin, John R.; Karamchandani, Zeenat
Redevelopment of urban sites is an ongoing concern for many communities in the industrial Northeast United States. While many mill sites still languish, examples of successful revitalization can be found. Most of these efforts require more than market conditions to make them viable. Partnerships between developers and the community and state are seen to be crucial. These public-private partnerships come in many forms, not always monetary. The detail and effectiveness of these partnerships often depend on the experience and expertise of developers and community professionals. Given that many of these communities have limited staff, agreements are often made quickly with a rather short-term perspective. This often leads to either side (most often the municipal side) not fully benefiting in terms of long-term impacts. Longitudinal studies to examine impacts over time are helping understand the complexities of these agreements and offer transferable lessons. This paper, a case study of public-private investment in an old mill complex located in Maynard, Massachusetts that was vacated in 1993, is intended to help communities consider those costs and benefits. It discusses the historical significance of the mill to the town, examines the rationale for investors to purchase the mill and their intentions in revitalizing the structures, describes the public-private agreements that were undertaken, analyzes the immediate impact of the resulting agreements, and examines the impact over the years.
Open Access
Contemporary Music and the Manufacturing Region: Reflections on Reality
(1997-10) Mullin, John; Hines, Tracie Seder
Despite long odds, some distressed, high unemployment regions in the United States survive, revitalize, and prosper. While there are many reasons for their success, we hypothesize that a strong sense of community helps make bearable the anger, frustration, despair, and irrationality that accompany high job losses in a region.
Open Access
Towards a Vision for the Future: The Need for Growth Management Strategies
(1992-04) Mullin, John
A look at Pennsylvania from a national perspective indeed illustrates that it is the Keystone State. Parts of it are eastern and tied into megalopolis. Indeed, the Lehigh Valley is now part of the Regional Plan of New York. Parts of it are upper-south in character, parts are thrust into the Midwest, and parts are now in the economic sphere of Baltimore and Washington. (I think the fact that most surprised me while I researched this paper was that Gettysburg will be less than thirty minutes away from the new Washington Metro connection in Frederick). What all this points to is that the Commonwealth, tied as it is to different regions of the nation, is likely to be undergoing significant change in the years to come.
Open Access
National Industrial Policy and the Local Planner
(1987-04) Mullin, John R; Armstrong, Jeanne H
This article analyzes the debate concerning the problems, approaches, and intent of industrial policy as it relates to the working planner. It begins with a search for a definition. From there the authors set forth a rationale for such a policy and lay out the key characteristics typically proposed by its advocates. The critical dimensions in the debate are then reviewed. Finally, the potential impacts of various policy options upon local planners are discussed.
Open Access
European Contributions to American City and Regional Planning: A Snapshot of the Flow of Concepts and Ideas Across the Atlantic
(2020-01) Mullin, John; Kotval, Zenia
It has long been noted that America has adopted and adapted many of its city planning principles based on the experiences of European nations. This paper identifies and concisely explains ten of the most significant European planning elements that have influenced American planning since Puritan times (1630-1680) to the present. These examples were selected as a result of our scholarly research, field work and consulting experiences both in Europe and the United States. The intent of the paper is to contribute to the dialogue on the transference of planning visions, concepts and approaches from European nations to the New World.
Open Access
Book Review of Growth and Transformation of the Modern City
(1979-06) Mullin, John
The book consists of a group of papers developed for one of a series of symposia to celebrate the centennial birthday of the University of Stockholm. It was organized by the University's Departments of History, History of Art and Human Geography. Invitees included scholars from Sweden, Britain, Finland, Denmark and the United States.
Open Access
The reconstruction of Lisbon following the earthquake of 1755: a study in despotic planning
(1992) Mullin, John R.
This paper is a description and analysis of the plan for the rebuilding of Lisbon following the earthquake of 1755. This tremor was so devastating that the entire city centre, the Baixa, ceased to exist. From this chaos emerged the Marques de Pombal who, with the approval of the King, immediately brought order and began to develop efforts to create the new Lisbon. The effort first focused upon the development of four options that included rebuilding the city as it was, reconstructing the city with minimal improvements to the street pattern, undertaking a total rebuilding effort or starting fresh on a new site. After considerable analysis, Pombal selected the option to build under the 'clean slate' option. After selection of this option, the planners created six detailed plans. After considerable review, the dos Santos concept was selected. These six plans, designed largely by military engineers, were created with the intent of furthering Pombal's goal of creating a city that reflected new values. The city was to reflect a society in which the citizen, the merchant and the bureaucrat took precedence over the crown, church and nobility. The results were indeed a new Lisbon.
Open Access
Assessing Economic Impacts of Urban Recreation Development: Lowell National Historical Park
(1981-06) Mullin, John; Gross, Meir; Palmer, James
This article describes a pragmatic approach to assessing the economic impact of major urban recreation development. It is based on an assessment of the impact of the Lowell National Historical Park (LNHP) on the metropolitan area of Lowell, Massachusetts. This study was conducted by the authors in response to the National Park Services' (NPS) need to anticipate impacts resulting from the creation of a new National Park in Lowell. More specifically, the NPS requested an analysis of the likely impact that the LNHP would have on economic development, employment, land use patterns, and local citizens. The assessment was prepared under two constraints: (1) no primary data was available relating specifically to the LNHP, and (2) the study duration was six weeks. The following summarizes the process used to develop the study and the important findings.