Vivien Li

Last month, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh launched “Imagine Boston 2030,” a city-wide planning process encompassing all of Boston’s neighborhoods. Fifty years since Boston’s last master plan, Imagine Boston 2030 will be a multi-year initiative involving residents to help guide preservation, enhancement and responsible growth. The planning will be done in the context of shared prosperity, coordinated public investment and a healthy environment for all. “Preserve wisely, enhance equality and grow intelligently” will be central to the future plan.

Nowhere are the changes in the last 50 years as pronounced as they are on Boston’s waterfront. Back then, the polluted harbor was largely the domain of port-related activities. Few companies were vying for waterfront property. The majority of multifamily housing being built on the waterfront at the time was federally subsidized. Local residents had few allies as they advocated for a cleanup of the harbor and for more waterfront parks.

Today, the waterfront is experiencing unprecedented growth due in part to a clean harbor and restored beaches. In contrast to the past when few used the waterfront, the challenges now relate to issues of appropriate density and scale of development, transportation mobility, access and equity, and climate change impacts.

Things To Consider

The timing of Imagine Boston 2030 could not be better to formulate a visionary blueprint for the future, taking into consideration the following:

Be bold in thinking of the Boston of 2030. Imagine a city which truly embraces a sustainable waterfront for all, with robust water transportation as part of an integrated transit system; generous pedestrian walkways and expanded bicycle routes, rather than just roadways, to link residents to jobs, residences, and activities along the water; a diverse economy, with water dependent and maritime industrial uses having priority along the harbor; and large expanses of waterfront open spaces which provide both recreational and flood control benefits.

Make sure that the goals of existing planning efforts in transportation, housing, open space, education and arts and culture are complementary. As an example, as more employment opportunities are created along the waterfront, ensure that diverse housing opportunities exist nearby for the workforce, thereby reducing automobile congestion and related pollutants which contribute to climate change. Integrate community assets such as open spaces, educational facilities and civic and cultural uses into waterfront neighborhoods.

As Boston’s waterfront continues to be built out, encourage iconic “green” architecture and development of a scale that reinforces the pedestrian experience along the city’s HarborWalk public access network.

Make climate preparedness a reality and priority for all, from helping city residents and small businesses make their properties climate-resilient to implementing appropriate measures for protecting vital local and regional infrastructure. Continue to focus attention on neighborhood-level climate action.

Begin to implement measures to reach the long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, while creating a more vibrant and sustainable city. Incorporate sustainability into all aspects of education, and over the long term, work closely with state and regional partners to re-think the types of energy used in transportation systems and in how energy is produced.

Take a page from the city’s “Go Boston 2030” transportation planning effort in terms of civic engagement. Go where the residents are, whether by mobile van, at transit hubs and community centers, or through social media, to solicit their vision for their city.

The Walsh Administration is to be commended for its leadership in taking on this much-needed, comprehensive planning effort. Key to the Imagine Boston 2030 plan will be its implementation strategy, which will no doubt include clearly articulated benchmarks, and incorporate capital funding, grants, incentives and standards.

These are exciting times for Boston and its residents. With careful planning, continued community engagement and involvement, and a thoughtful strategy for implementation, the best is still to come.