After decades of separation, Boston's replacement of its elevated interstate highway with the Rose Kennedy Greenway has physically re-united the City's historic downtown neighborhoods including the North End, the Harbor, Chinatown, and the Financial District. But the City of Boston recognizes that the value of full integration and activated open space will take many years to realize. The barrier of the Central Artery shaped development patterns over decades, and the city's back doors – parking structures, warehouse buildings, limited facades – face the newly-created open space as a result. To lay the groundwork for placemaking along the Greenway and re-connection of the city to its extraordinary harbor, Boston adopted a district-wide approach to planning and design for neighborhoods along the Greenway. For the Boston Redevelopment Authority, HR&A conducted an economic benefit analysis of property value changes in proximity to the Greenway, and provided economic analysis to support proposed District zoning and design controls. In April, HR&A Principal Jamie Torres Springer presented HR&A's findings at a Greenway District Planning Study Public Meeting. The presentation can be found here.
The City of Boston and the Redevelopment Authority are committed to excellence in urban design so that the Rose Kennedy Greenway's 15 acres of open space are an attraction for residents and visitors. HR&A worked alongside Utile Planning and Architecture and Ken Greenberg, on behalf of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, to develop the design and planning principles for a new Greenway District. The Utile team identified locations and strategies to enhance the urban edge of the new park to encourage activity, as well as define the character – height, density, and uses – of potential development opportunities in the District. The approach focused both on using the Greenway to catalyze new downtown development and ensuring that the Greenway's long-term potential to create value for the City was a key consideration.
HR&A supported the team by evaluating the economic impacts to date of the Greenway on neighboring real estate. Recognizing the importance of the quality of park operations, HR&A also completed an analysis of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy's budget for park operations and maintenance.
