What we're reading this week | The #FridayFive

Reed Hilderbrand to develop Franklin Park master plan
BBJ, April 8, by Catherine Carlock
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is launching a master planning effort at Franklin Park, a 527-acre space spanning the city’s Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods, ahead of a planned $28 million revitalization. The historic park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, was commissioned in the 1890s and includes the William Devine golf course, historic bear cages, Scarboro Pond, White Stadium and the Franklin Park Zoo, as well of miles of trails. [READ MORE]

Colin’s Joy Shines Bright at Neighborhood Night
South Boston Online, April 10, by Tara Kerrigan Hayes
A special fundraising event was held on Tuesday, April 2, at Capo Restaurant’s Supper Club on West Broadway. Fittingly called Neighborhood Night at Capo, neighbors and loved ones showed up by the hundreds in a remarkable turnout to support Colin’s Joy Project, and to pay tribute to an inspiring family aiming to transform their grief into a legacy of joy and giving. [READ MORE]

Green concrete: how ecological engineering is helping protect our coastlines
Sociable, April 8, by Navanwita Sachdev
As human invasion of coasts and marine space is inevitable, our planet faces several problems in increased storminess and sea level rise. Can ecological engineering help? The way humans are invading the oceans doesn’t seem to be stopping. In February the city of Tel Aviv, Israel moved to increase marine biodiversity in its shores with the help of underwater concrete structures. [READ MORE]

Can New Haven save its shoreline, protect city from climate change?
New Haven Register, April 8, by Mary E. O’Leary
East Shore Park is a well-used refuge for walkers and sports enthusiasts alike, a total of 64 acres with 3,200 feet of shoreline off Woodward Avenue. Possibly the one problem at the popular site, which has 600,000 users per year, was summed up by Giovanni Zinn. “It would be nice to see the water,” said Zinn, the city’s engineer. [READ MORE]

Three lessons from Cuba about improving coastal climate resilience
EDF, April 4, by Katherine Angier
Facing a future with increasingly powerful hurricanes and rising seas, Cuba is addressing its vulnerability to climate change head-on. The country recently approved a new constitution that highlights the importance of addressing climate change, and its National Plan to Confront Climate Change, known as Tarea Vida (“Project Life”), provides a template to coordinate the resilience efforts of multiple sectors across the island. [READ MORE]