Earlier this fall, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and 50 business and civic leaders visited New York City to learn and share best practices on issues affecting Greater Boston. While everyone had been to New York numerous times before, the collective “City-to-City” experience suggested a number of considerations as Boston moves forward with new development opportunities:
Open spaces and economic development: John Alschuler, chair emeritus of Friends of the High Line and head of an economic consulting firm, proposed that 21st century parks must be more than just open spaces in the mode of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Central Park in New York or the Emerald Necklace in Boston. Rather, developers in urban centers should embrace high-quality, less traditional open spaces that help create a distinctive sense of place.
Alschuler cited Manhattan’s High Line, an elevated freight rail line transformed into a public park, as an example of a modern day urban park that also delivers a high return on investment. Not only is it the second-most visited destination in New York with 5.5 million annual visitors, the High Line has helped to stimulate economic revitalization of nearby neighborhoods. Alschuler noted that implementation of transfer of development rights has allowed owners abutting the High Line to transfer their development entitlements elsewhere, thereby helping ensure that adjacent development reinforces the public nature of the High Line.
Transformative open spaces are not new, and Boston certainly has its share, including the Rose Kennedy Greenway, East Boston Greenway and the HarborWalk, to name just a few. These urban open spaces have helped spur residential and economic growth, particularly by the waterfront and along East Boston’s open spaces, and should be further encouraged in Boston’s neighborhoods.
24/7 live/work neighborhoods for all: Even the most jaded City-to-City participant found the views from architect Frank Gehry’s 8 Spruce St. project breathtaking. The 870 feet high apartment complex is one of the tallest residential towers in the Americas, and has been described as a symbol of Lower Manhattan’s rebirth following September 11. The issue of appropriate building height and the potential impacts of wind and shadow on the pedestrian experience engendered much discussion.
Discussion also turned to the creation of mixed-use neighborhoods. City planners noted that the 8 Spruce St. project houses a state-of-the-art elementary school which serves lower Manhattan’s growing family community. City-to-City participants were reminded of an earlier, unsuccessful attempt to site an elementary school in Boston’s Innovation District. With more than 1,700 new residential units completed or under construction in the Innovation District, many felt it may now be timely to revisit whether a school for area students makes sense.
To ensure neighborhoods are accessible to all, the de Blasio administration’s housing plan calls for 200,000 additional affordable housing units over the next 10 years. Both Boston and New York planners agree that more affordable housing, available for the very lowest income to those in the middle class, is sorely needed. Similarly, employment training programs and diverse employment opportunities, including light manufacturing jobs such as those found in Brooklyn’s Industry City and Boston’s Marine Industrial Park, were lauded by all.
Climate-resilient cities: Following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, New York’s citizens and leaders quickly came together to develop the plan, “A Stronger, More Resilient New York.” Created through a robust public process, the plan includes recommendations to limit the future impacts of climate change, such as working with the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey on innovative coastal protection measures using clean dredge materials; retrofitting public housing units and increasing their climate resiliency; working with utilities to harden key electric transmission and distribution infrastructure; and providing transportation redundancy in the event of future storms.
During a ferry tour, City-to-City participants were reminded of how Boston was spared from the impacts of Superstorm Sandy. Had the storm hit five and a half hours earlier at high tide, 6.6 percent of Boston’s land mass could have been flooded. Enlightened business, academic and civic leaders serving on Boston’s Green Ribbon Commission are part of a unique partnership working to implement strategies for climate action in coordination with the city of Boston’s proactive efforts.
Building on the 2011 plan, Boston’s draft 2014 Climate Action Plan Update has been circulated for public comment following an extensive community engagement process. When finalized at year’s end, the plan will be a blueprint for further public and private actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also working for a more climate resilient city. As City-to-City participants noted, climate action needs to continue to be a priority for coastal cities in the years ahead.
City-to-City participants took away a number of valuable insights from the New York visit. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, New York’s leaders will allow us to reciprocate their kind hospitality while showcasing Boston’s vibrant neighborhoods and many innovations.
Vivien Li is president of The Boston Harbor Association, www.tbha.org. She may be reached at vli@tbha.org.
