When Vivien Li joined the Boston Harbor Association (BHA) in 1991, the city’s waterways were a national joke. Congested, polluted and generally unpleasant, the Bay State’s capital city did not live up to the name.
Through years of dedicated effort and with support from residents, developers, politicians and peers, Boston’s harbor was healed. The BHA, under Li’s leadership, not only saw the opportunities offered by a healthy waterfront, it had the vision and determination to help bring it to life. Today the waterfront neighborhoods are in the midst of a radical transformation, and without its appealing, sparkling waterways, the Seaport would not be the booming, vibrant area it is now.
Li announced last week that she will be leaving Boston and the BHA for Pittsburg to join Riverwalk, a public-private partnership hoping to heal that city’s waterways and revitalize surrounding neighborhoods.
If anyone can do it, Li can. The transformation of Boston Harbor is nothing short of miraculous. Of course, the success of its revitalization – or the blame for its former sorry state – cannot be placed on the head of one person. But without a leader, there can be no followers. It took vision, determination and a chorus of voices expressing an unwavering belief that Boston could be beautiful again. Li’s voice was one of the strongest.
A New York City native who attended Barnard College, Li came to Boston in the late 1960s to take a job at the Boston Redevelopment Authority. After attending graduate school at Princeton University and earning a degree in urban planning, she returned to Boston to work for the Public Health Commission and as an advisor to former Gov. Michael Dukakis. She has been a contributor to Banker & Tradesman’s op-ed pages for more than a decade. Coincidentally, her most recent contribution appears in this issue.
“It seemed like many of the things we’ve tried to do in Boston [are] of interest to other cities, and it’s a great opportunity,” Li told Banker & Tradesman when the newspaper broke the news of her departure. “Boston has been my home for more than 30 years, and my heart will always be in Boston.”
Li’s experience and knowledge is a boon to the next waterfront city to attract her talent. Though she no doubt angered many a Bostonian in the past three decades (which is notoriously easy to do) and will no doubt encounter resistance in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is lucky to have her.
When Li departs on Sept. 30, it will be up the BHA to carry on her advocacy – and up to the developers and residents of some of Boston’s hottest neighborhoods to carry on her legacy. Let’s make sure the chorus is never silenced and we continue to honor the beauty and bounty of Boston Harbor.
