What we're reading this week | The #FridayFive

Open Space Ideas Discussed for Sargent’s Wharf [Video]
NorthEndWaterfront.com, January 21, Amanda Stoll
Nick Black, Managing Director of the Boston Waterfront Initiative for the Trustees, led a discussion on a new proposal to create a park or public open space at Sargent’s Wharf in the North End at the January North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) meeting. [READ MORE]

Developer unveils his 600-foot-tall vision for Boston’s waterfront
Boston Globe, January 22, Tim Logan
After years of vague discussions about the size and shape of a skyscraper he wants to build on Boston’s waterfront, developer Don Chiofaro is laying his cards on the table. The veteran developer on Wednesday filed detailed plans with the city for his long-envisioned tower alongside Central Wharf, which would put office space and apartments in a 600-foot high-rise where the hulking Boston Harbor Garage now sits. [READ MORE] 

Street Trees Could Help Boston Adapt To Climate Change. If They Can Survive, That Is
WBUR, January 23, Miriam Wasser 
Tree survival is especially important in a place like East Boston. The neighborhood has the lowest tree canopy coverage in the city, which means that during the summer, it also has some of the worst hot spots.  Urban heat kills about 600 Americans every year, and sends another 65,000 to the emergency room, according to a recent report from the Urban Land Institute. Climate change is going to make these problems worse, the report's authors write. [READ MORE]

What’s Next for Franklin Park? Master Plan Workshop on Jan. 28
Jamaica Plain News, January 24, David Ertischek
The city is teaming up with landscape architects, planners, ecologists, as well as "community engagement experts" to "create a community driven master plan for an engaging and diverse Franklin Park."  The team is going to look at a long list of elements to Franklin Park, including accessibility, arboriculture, ecology, equity, implementation strategy, inclusion, master plan document, soil science, urban planning, wayfinding, and more. [READ MORE]

Stantec to lead design on $129mn coastal resilience project for Manhattan
Construction Global, January 21, Daniel Brightmore
As part of the 4-year, $129mn project, Stantec will lead design plans for a reconstructed wharf at the southern tip of Manhattan that will raise the waterfront esplanade approximately 5 feet above its current elevation - 11 feet above Mean Sea Level - to protect the park and nearby community, as the Battery currently sits at an elevation that will be submerged as sea levels rise.   The project will ensure usability of this iconic public space for millions of yearly visitors over the next 80 years and play a critical role in Lower Manhattan’s growing network of resiliency reinforcements. [READ MORE]