When a new waterfront park is built in Boston, what factors are important to you? [New poll!]
Image Courtesy Above Summit
Parks are valued public spaces for their many benefits—as spaces to gather, recreate, relax, and experience. In urban environments, having open, green space in which to spend time can be especially beneficial—a belief that led to the founding of The Trustees in 1891.
When Charles Eliot, a protégé of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, established our organization in Boston to preserve nature “as a valuable antidote to the poisonous struggling and excitement of city life,” the City was undergoing rapid development, as were other major U.S. metropolitan areas. During this time, in the mid-to-late 19th Century, populations began to see the importance and use of open space differently than before, and parks were built to serve as retreats from the hustle and bustle of city life.
What features would Boston residents like to see in a waterfront park today?
Today, though Boston is one of only two cities in the nation to have a park within a 10-minute walking distance for all residents according to the annual ParkScore ranking from The Trust for Public Land, it still ranks in the bottom three for the amount of green space per resident when compared to 14 other major U.S. cities. But change is on the horizon, with Boston citizens and leaders pushing for more world-class green space that befits a world-class city.
Building new green spaces, such as parks, is one of the proposed strategies in Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s Resilient Boston Harbor vision, and One Waterfront continues to work alongside partners and city officials to create resilient, accessible and welcoming open space that adds to the acreage and amenities of the city’s overall park system.
A recent informal poll posted on the Waterfront Views blog posed the question: What activities would attract you to a Boston waterfront park? More than half of respondents said they would welcome cultural experiences such as concerts, art exhibits and performances (51%). Experiences in the harbor such as kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing were also a popular choice (27.5%) followed by recreational opportunities (11.5%) and educational programs (6.7%).
We want to hear from you!
The next poll question from the One Waterfront team is now live! We want to know: When a new park is built, how important are the following factors to you?