Boston`s Harbor and Waterfront A Renaissance Underway

Transcription

U N D E R S T A N D I N G
B O S T O N
Boston’s Harbor and Waterfront
A Renaissance Underway
A Special Indicators Report
with an Initial Framework
for Measuring Success
By Save the Harbor /Save the Bay
with the support of
The City of Boston and The Boston Foundation
Save the Harbor
Save the Bay
Fo r Eve r yon e
About the Boston Foundation
The Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, has an endowment of
almost $675 million. Last year the Foundation made grants of $51 million to nonprofit organizations and received
gifts of $41 million. The Boston Foundation is made up of 750 separate charitable funds, which have been established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation
also serves as a civic leader, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives designed to build community. For more
information about the Boston Foundation and its grantmaking, visit www.tbf.org, or call 617-338-1700.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay (SHSB) is not your “typical” environmental advocacy organization. It was
founded in 1986 by the attorney who filed the lawsuit that resulted in the Boston Harbor Cleanup, the judge
who heard the case in state court, the reporter who covered the story for the region’s leading newspaper, and a
young mother from Brookline. At that time, Boston Harbor was one of the dirtiest in the country, and sewage
washed up on beaches around the Bay.
Since 1986 SHSB has led the fight for quality water, for beaches that are safe for swimming and a Harbor that is
clean enough for boating and for fishing.
Today, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is led by a broad group of civic, corporate, cultural, and community leaders
as well as citizens and scientists whose shared mission is: to restore and protect Boston Harbor and Massachusetts
Bay, to reconnect our citizens, our communities and especially our young people to the sea and to ensure the
balanced development of a world-class waterfront for everyone to enjoy. For more information and a calendar of
Harbor activities, visit www.savetheharbor.org, or call 617-451-2860.
UNDERSTANDING BOSTON is a series of forums, educational events, and research sponsored by the Boston Foundation to
provide information and insight into issues affecting Boston, its neighborhoods, and the region. By working in
collaboration with a wide range of partners, the Boston Foundation provides opportunities for people to come
together to explore challenges facing our constantly changing community and to develop an informed civic agenda.
© 2005 by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and The Boston Foundation. All rights reserved.
Dear Friends:
Boston’s Waterfront is undergoing a remarkable transformation, as new neighborhoods emerge on the
Waterfront, with new parks and public spaces, civic and cultural institutions, new housing, hotels, office
buildings, stores and new restaurants. Great things are happening on the Waterfront, and on the Harbor
itself. Our beaches are cleaner, and our bays are healthier than they have been in our lifetime.
This special report produced by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the City of Boston with the support
of the Boston Foundation demonstrates that this transformation did not just happen by accident. It has
taken careful planning, commitment and leadership, as well as public and private investment. As you
read the report, I am confident that you will agree that it has been worth the effort and investment.
My administration has focused on the critical task of strengthening the connections between the
Waterfront and our neighborhoods, so that every Bostonian can enjoy the benefits of our cleaner Harbor.
Our “Crossroads Initiative” will strengthen these critical connections, bringing 21st century streets, new
view corridors and a pedestrian friendly environment to the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and
the Waterfront. It will dramatically change how we think about, and how we use this part of our city.
We have created a vital new network of walks, paths and trails to make it easier for the public to
get to the Harbor and enjoy all our Waterfront has to offer. We have also begun to develop great new
programming for these spaces, for residents from every neighborhood, because our Harbor and our
Waterfront belong to all of us.
Our renewed Harbor has already begun to play a central role in our civic life and in our region’s
economic life as well. I am particularly delighted to learn from this report that Bostonians and the region’s
residents have already begun to discover that our great Waterfront is once again at the heart of our great
city. I am confident that these trends will continue in the years ahead.
The men and women who founded Boston understood the importance of Boston’s Harbor. As we
celebrate our city’s 375th birthday, I am certain that they would be proud of the work we have done
together and our commitment to the future of Boston Harbor.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
June 2005
Dear Members of the Greater Boston Community:
Twenty years ago, Boston Harbor was one of the most polluted in the nation, a source of embarrassment with
waste washing up on the shore from Cape Cod to Cape Ann. Today, it is a source of pride and opportunity, a
driver of the region’s economic success, and an exciting resource for Greater Bostonians and visitors alike.
Boston’s restored and revitalized Harbor and Waterfront reflect two decades of commitment and collaboration. Without the steely determination and perseverance of an enormous array of groups and individuals—
the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Regional
EPA, the Mass Water Resources Authority, the Boston Harbor Association, the Charles River Watershed
Association, the New England Aquarium, Massport, and the MBTA, to name only a few, as well as scientists,
planners, judges, and engaged residents from throughout Boston’s neighborhoods and the region—this
chapter of Boston’s history would be much less hopeful. We owe them our deep gratitude as we release
this report celebrating and documenting their vision and tenacity.
Over the next 20 years, Boston Harbor will play an even greater role in the life of the city and region. To
track its progress, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, in partnership with the City of Boston and the Boston
Foundation, undertook an extensive process to formulate a new framework of goals and measures. In
addition to conducting a survey of Greater Bostonians’ attitudes about the Harbor, Save the Harbor/Save
the Bay convened stakeholders and experts in a variety of focus groups and working sessions, out of
which emerged a set of indicators that will continue to evolve. We are confident that these initial goals
and measures, backed up by hard data released separately, will help to guide the decisions of those
charged with responding to Boston Harbor’s tremendous opportunities and unique challenges.
Already, this effort has led to significant policy changes and exciting new initiatives that will expand access
to Boston’s revitalized Harbor and Waterfront. While these early efforts do not, of course, address all of
the challenges identified, they are a significant first step. The bottom line is that the Boston Harbor
and Waterfront are stunning resources waiting to be fully imagined and fully utilized. Capturing their
potential capacity to improve our quality of life and boost the region’s economic prospects will require
continued effort, renewed focus, and enthusiasm. Building on the continued leadership of Boston Mayor
Thomas M. Menino and all those who have made such important contributions, Boston will once again
host one of the world’s greatest urban harbors.
Sincerely,
Paul S. Grogan
President and CEO
The Boston Foundation
Patricia A. Foley
President
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. The Health of the Marine Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Access and Connections to the Harbor and Waterfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3. Activity and Diversity of Use on the Waterfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4. The Economic Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Going Forward: A Proposed Framework of Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
An Agenda for the Harbor, the Waterfront, and Public Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A Strategy for Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
A Strategy for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
A Summary of Proposed Indicators and Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Introduction
Regarded as the filthiest harbor in the nation in the
1980s, today Boston Harbor is among the cleanest,
with a Waterfront that is more dynamic than it has
been for generations, following an unprecedented
investment of close to $20 billion dollars in the environment and transportation systems.
Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay now provide
healthier homes for a diverse mix of sea and shore
birds, fish, and marine mammals. And the physical
infrastructure that provides access to the Waterfront
is improving as well, with new roadways, improved
public transportation, and an expanded network of
trails and paths. Once again, the Waterfront is emerging as an economic engine for the city and the region,
attracting billions of dollars of private investment in
new restaurants, retail establishments, offices, hotels,
and housing.
The Central Waterfront is the site of many of the
region’s most important attractions and destinations,
including the USS Constitution, Fanueil Hall Marketplace, the New England Aquarium, and the new
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Soon, it
will be home to the new Institute of Contemporary
Art (ICA), an expanded Boston Children’s Museum, a
newly expanded Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum,
and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. As these
projects unfold and the construction of the Central
Artery is completed, the physical reality of the
Waterfront will continue to improve.
However, none of these improvements guarantee that
Boston’s Waterfront will thrive, or that the benefits of
the enormous public investments that have been made
will be shared by Bostonians of all ages, races and
ethnic backgrounds and from every neighborhood
in the city.
To have a truly successful Waterfront, the community
of Greater Boston will have to continue to develop effective strategies and find new resources to ensure that the
Harbor is accessible and inviting to everyone, including
those with disabilities and those with limited means.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, in partnership with the
City of Boston and the Boston Foundation, offers this
framework of goals and measures, or indicators, to
focus attention and resources on the many ways that
Boston and the region can continually improve all
aspects of the Waterfront and ensure that all residents
of Greater Boston will benefit from the renewal and
restoration of Boston’s Harbor and Waterfront.
The proposed framework outlines broad goals—with
powerful and objective measures to track progress
over time—that, when realized, will result in a truly
successful Waterfront. The indicators of progress,
which emerged in extensive convenings of stakeholders and experts, will evolve over time through use,
review, and the availability of new data, serving to
highlight accomplishments and to underscore areas
in need of improvement, attention and investment.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has compiled a comprehensive set of data to provide community, corporate,
public and civic leaders with information that will
help them to make decisions about critical issues
related to the Harbor and the Waterfront. The new
framework of goals and measures, backed up with
data, will hopefully lead to increased interest in—and
excitement about—the future of Boston Harbor, the
Waterfront, and the potential that they represent for
improving the quality of life in Greater Boston.
Underway
5
Study Area
focused its study on Boston’s
Waterfront – from the Mystic
River to the Neponset River,
encompassing all of the land
east of Interstate 93 from
the Neponset Bridge, north
through Dorchester, South
Boston, the Seaport, Fort Point
Channel, Downtown, and the
North End. Crossing into
Charlestown, the boundary
follows US 1 to Medford Street
west to the Malden Bridge.
The neighborhood of
East Boston is included west
of the McClellan Highway.
6
Understanding
Boston
Methodology and Process
Critical to the success of this effort has been the
involvement of a broad group of more than 250
civic, community, and corporate leaders whose ideas,
guidance, and vision were invaluable. Two large
public meetings were held, as well as eight smaller
“sector” meetings that focused on particular industries
and interest groups. The sector meetings included
environmentalists, cultural leaders, leaders from the
Working Port and marine industrial industries, the
travel and tourism industry as well as Waterfront
neighborhood residents, suburban residents, the
“under 35” population, and residents from Boston’s
inland neighborhoods.
Working together with these diverse participants,
a broad framework was designed that focuses on
shared goals for a “successful” Waterfront in Boston.
The framework includes indicators of change,
sustainability and important challenges facing the
City as it moves forward to continue to improve
the Harbor and Waterfront.
Already, data has been gathered, based on that
framework, and focused in four critical areas:
■ The environmental health of the Harbor;
■ The accessibility of the Waterfront;
■ The mix of uses and variety of destination
attractions; and
■ The economic landscape of the Waterfront.
The material in this report is based on:
■ The framework developed through the public
process;
■ Objective data gathered based on that framework;
■ Robust discussions with the stakeholders about
the interpretation of data; and
■ The results of a public opinion survey conducted
in the spring of 2005.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Public opinion results are based on an Internet survey—
conducted by Kiley and Company in partnership with
Chadwick, Martin and Bailey—of 590 adult residents
of the Greater Boston area. Interviews were conducted
on-line between April 18th and April 24th, 2005.
Respondents were randomly chosen from two panels
of adult residents reflecting the demographics of the
region and agreeing to participate in the Internet
survey. The geographic area included the City of
Boston, all other cities and towns inside Route 128,
and those cities and towns that abut Route 128 on
its outer perimeter.
Background
The confluence of public investment in and around
the Harbor’s edge and the major private investments
that have been stimulated are bringing about a radical
transformation of the Waterfront and enhancing its
contribution to Boston’s future prosperity, culture,
and quality of life.
Today, Boston Harbor—the natural foundation that
inspired the founding of Boston—is once again at the
center of the City’s future. Residents from across the
City and region are reconnecting to the Harbor and
Waterfront in new and exciting ways.
With this renaissance underway, Boston faces new
challenges. Much of what needs to be accomplished
is related to the strengthening of the connections
between the great Waterfront assets that the City
already possesses—a cleaner Harbor, diverse
Waterfront neighborhoods, cultural destinations
and attractions, welcoming parks and open spaces—
and Boston’s inland neighborhoods.
Boston’s Waterfront must be accessible to everyone,
regardless of income or ability. To achieve that equity,
it is essential to create, promote and provide programming, events, and social as well as economic opportunities for all of residents of Greater Boston.
Underway
7
The Geography of Boston’s Waterfront
While the re-emergence of Boston’s Central Waterfront as a destination for neighborhood residents and visitors has been especially dramatic, it is important to understand
Boston’s other waterfront neighborhoods. (see map on page 6)
The Central Waterfront extends from North Station to the Bank of America Pavilion to
South Station. It is home to most of the Waterfront’s cultural institutions, destination
attractions, historical sites, restaurants and hotels. It is also the most active environment,
with clusters of activity that attract city residents and visitors alike.
Charlestown and the North End , by contrast, are largely residential neighborhoods, seeking new ways to balance visitor impact with neighborhood quality of life issues, such as
traffic, transportation, parking and noise.
The residential neighborhoods of South Boston and Dorchester are home to Boston’s
most popular swimming beaches, with predominately recreational opportunities located
along the shore. Much of the shoreline is owned by government agencies that have been
especially hard hit by state budget cuts. These communities continue to face serious
water quality challenges, though water quality will improve dramatically as the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) implements the South Boston and North
Dorchester Bay Beaches plan over the next eight years.
The waterfront neighborhood of East Boston has a mix of residential and industrial/port
related usage, with limited public and recreational access at Constitution Beach, Piers
Park, and Condor Street Urban Wild and limited cross-Harbor water transportation.
Its challenges include water quality and neighborhood quality of life issues.
Though the Working Port , in South Boston, Charlestown, and East Boston is not a
residential neighborhood, it is useful to think about it as a neighborhood of interests
that generates jobs and economic benefits to the city and the region. The Working Port
is challenged by an antiquated infrastructure, competitive uses and resources, and 21st
century maritime trade opportunities. Also, very real conflicts exist around landside
boundaries and changes in adjacent neighborhoods—although creative strategies
have been and will continue to minimize tensions between those very different, but
ultimately compatible, uses.
8
Understanding
Boston
Findings
1. The Health of the Marine Environment
The $4 billion, 20-year restoration of Boston Harbor,
which grew out of a state court case that led to a 1984
federal lawsuit filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, has resulted in significant reductions in pollution
discharged into Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.
Since the Boston Harbor Project began, the quantity of
suspended solids discharged into the Harbor and the
Bay declined by 80%, including the elimination of
bacterial contamination, unpleasant odors and
unsightly contaminants. The project also has restored
opportunities for public recreation and enjoyment of
the Harbor and the Waterfront.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
(MWRA), the regional authority responsible for
overseeing the cleanup, has completed many of
the improvements originally called for in the Boston
Harbor Project. These include major new construction
projects such as the Fore River Shipyard sewage
processing facility, the new Deer Island Treatment Plant,
the tunnel from Nut Island to the Deer Island Treatment
Plant, and the Mass Bay outfall-diffuser system.
Both the Deer Island plant and the Massachusetts Bay
outfall pipe are functioning well. In 2003-2004, the
Deer Island plant exceeded the strict thresholds
established by their permit only once, with just four
additional violations at the outfall pipe, a remarkable
record for a new plant of its size and scale.
Today, the Harbor and the Bay support a diversity
of wildlife. Data reveals healthy numbers of Alewife,
Blueback and Atlantic Herring populations, providing
generous forage for sea and shore birds, fish, and
marine mammals. Healthy populations of avian
species are also good indicators of the Harbor’s health.
Reported sightings of both Double-crested Cormorants
and Great Blue Herons were up dramatically in 2004.
Challenges
Despite progress made to date, high bacteria levels
continue to cause unsafe conditions for many of the
region’s swimming beaches, forcing beach closings on
as many as one out of every five days for some of the
area’s most popular beaches. Plans are proceeding,
however, to make these beaches some of the cleanest
in America within a decade.
Percentage of summer days the Boston Harbor beaches fail the safe swimming water quality test
Carson Reservation
Constitution
Pleasure Bay
Tenean
Wollaston
2004
15.79%
12.07%
8.77%
15.39%
10.53%
2003
19.18%
3.64%
1.85%
21.82%
5.45%
2002
8.82%
2.99%
0%
3.33%
4.35%
NOTE: Beaches are tested between June and September, for a total of about 57 days.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
9
Percentage of summer days that a swimming advisory flag was incorrectly posted on the Boston Harbor beaches
Carson Reservation
Constitution
Pleasure Bay
Tenean
Wollaston
2004
17.54%
13.79%
17.54%
19.23%
21.05%
2003
20.0%
7.27%
3.7%
29.09%
10.91%
2002
14.71%
5.97%
0%
6.67%
8.7%
NOTE: Because it takes 24 hours for test results to become available, the flag posted on any given day indicates the
water quality and test results of the day before.
Beaches are tested between June and September, for a total of about 57 days.
The flagging system that has been developed to
inform and protect the public is often inaccurate,
with the wrong flag flying more than once a week
on average for most Boston Harbor Beaches. Because
test results take 24 hours to analyze, the flags—even
when posted correctly—reflect the previous day’s
conditions.
Swimming beaches are not the only locations facing
water quality challenges. For example, water quality
in the Fort Point Channel is not yet sufficiently clean
for the recreational use called for in planning for the
area. The water in the Channel is unsafe for human
contact, fishing and boating more than 100 days in
an average year.
Though the frequency and amount of untreated
discharge will be reduced when the new Union Park
facility goes on line, unless additional steps are taken
to address storm water contamination, unsafe conditions will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
Public Perception of the Environment
Survey data suggests that the public understands
the Boston Harbor Cleanup is not completed. Only
10% of respondents believe the Cleanup is complete.
Some 42% of the respondents believe that the project
is almost complete, and 48% believe that the project
is about halfway or somewhere less than halfway
completed.
How complete do you think the
Boston Harbor Cleanup is?
Totally Complete
10%
Almost Complete
42%
Halfway or less
48%
10
Understanding
Boston
The survey also reveals that the public has significant
concerns about the safety of eating fish or shellfish
caught in the Harbor, as well as concerns about
swimming, fishing and, to a lesser extent,
recreational boating.
What is perhaps most surprising, and encouraging,
is the overwhelming support shown by those
surveyed for the additional investments that will
be required to finish the job of cleaning up Boston’s
swimming beaches.
The cost of finishing the cleanup
of Boston’s swimming beaches will amount to
$250 million, or up to $20 per year
for the average household in the MWRA district.
How important do you feel it is that the MWRA
finish the cleanup of Boston’s swimming beaches?
Very Important
Not Important
6%
68%
When surveyed, an equal percentage of suburbanites
and city residents (68% and 67%, respectively),
responded that it is important for the MWRA to
finish the cleanup of Boston’s swimming beaches.
Mixed
26%
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
11
The Democratization of the Central Waterfront
In the past 15 years, the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority have
led a series of planning efforts to establish principles for the redevelopment of the
Central Waterfront and Waterfront neighborhoods.
These include: the 1991 Harborpark Plan; the South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan; the
Inner Harbor Passenger Water Transportation Plan; the Fort Point Downtown Municipal
Harbor Plan; the Fort Point District 100 Acres Planning process; the Fort Point Channel
Watersheet Activation Plan; and extensive efforts in East Boston, the North End, and
Charlestown. There also has been inclusive discussion and extensive debate about the
eventual shape of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, traffic patterns and other
related issues.
As a result of these planning efforts, the pedestrian and street level environment of
Boston’s Central Waterfront will be among the most democratic in the city, attracting
a wide range of residents, visitors and workers.
Boston’s Municipal Harbor Plan requires new Waterfront developments to include
ample open and public space, and requires developers to support programs that activate
those spaces with year-round programming and destinations, and support water transportation and other watersheet activation strategies for neighborhoods or the districts.
Major projects will consist of mixed-use developments (1/3 residential, 1/3 retail,
1/3 office) with active ground floor civic and cultural spaces, restaurants, cafes, clubs,
stores and other facilities that must be accessible to the public, regardless of their abilities.
Because of these planning principles, the redevelopment of the Central Waterfront will
create a number of important new public spaces for events and expanded programming
opportunities for all Bostonians to enjoy.
12
Understanding
Boston
2. Access and Connections to the Harbor and Waterfront
By nearly every measure, the infrastructure of access
to the Harbor and Waterfront—including public
transit, streets and roads, ferry docks, and the Harborwalk—has vastly improved. Much of what remains
to be accomplished relates to strengthening the
connections between a cleaner Harbor, neighborhoods,
walkways, and the museums and attractions on the
Waterfront and in other parts of the city.
The Big Dig
The largest public investment—and the one that
has and will continue to have the greatest impact on
access to the Waterfront—is the Central Artery/Tunnel
Project (CA/T), also known as the “Big Dig.” This
$14.6 billion investment has opened access to the
Waterfront, and eased the flow of traffic in and
around Boston.
The Emerging
Central Waterfront
The Central
Waterfront extends
from North Station
to the Bank of
America Pavilion
to South Station.
It is home to some
of the City’s most
notable cultural
institutions,
destination
attractions, historical
sites, restaurants
and hotels. It is
also the most active
environment on the
waterfront, with
clusters of activity
that attract city
residents and
visitors alike.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
13
The Big Dig also redefines the boundaries of Boston’s
Waterfront districts. The elevated Artery served not
only as a physical barrier, but also a psychological
barrier, impeding easy access by foot or by car.
Demolition of the elevated highway is creating a
new “front door to the Waterfront” in areas that
were previously cut off from the Harbor.
Prior to the CA/T project, traffic on Boston’s Central
Artery would sometimes come to a standstill. A 3.5mile trip from the Prudential Tunnel to Logan Airport
often took motorists an excruciating 45 minutes.
Today, with the opening of the I-90 extension, that
same trip can take just five minutes—a time savings
that enhances the productivity of the entire local
economy.
The CA/T’s environmental mitigation requirements
called for the construction of numerous open spaces
including Spectacle Island, the New Charles River Basic
Parks System, sections of the South Harbor Trail, Fort
Point Channel, the Harborwalk, and parks. The project
also constructed water transit terminals and provided
operating subsidies to relieve traffic congestion during
construction.
Improved traffic patterns and air quality, enhanced
access to Waterfront areas and the creation of new
public open spaces and outdoor amenities resulting
from this massive public works project are now
inviting people to reorient themselves and engage,
or re-engage, with Boston’s Waterfront.
Phase II of the Silver Line (from South Station to
Logan Airport) provides a new mass transit option,
joining the existing the Red, Orange and Blue MBTA
lines. The new service will provide access from
Downtown Boston to the Fort Point Channel area,
the Convention Center, and Logan Airport.
Improvements to the Central Waterfront
are dramatically changing the way people
relate to the city and the Harbor.
Other Critical Connections
Several important initiatives are already beginning
to make critical connections between Boston’s great
assets along the water’s edge. Ensuring that these
connections are completed and that the initiatives
succeed will both leverage the enormous investments
that have already been made and provide the links
that will help the city thrive and reach its fullest
potential. Some of these important initiatives are
outlined below.
The Crossroads Initiative
Though there has been spirited debate about the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, there is broad consen-
14
Understanding
Boston
■ Celebrate gateways at the water’s edge, South Bay,
North Station, South Station and Long Wharf; and
■ Introduce the Greenway as a new “Common
Ground”—a year-round center for Boston’s social
life that highlights the distinctive character of the
Greenway and its districts.
The Harborwalk is the centerpiece of the City’s plan
The Crossroads Initiative will weave the Greenway
through the City and reconnect its neighborhoods with
the Waterfront and Boston Harbor.
sus that this new public space will dramatically
change Boston for the better. While planning for the
Greenway continues, the City recognizes the importance of the connections within it and surrounding it.
The Crossroads Initiative provides essential east/west
connections across the former Central Artery that will
weave the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway through
the city and reconnect downtown neighborhoods. This
City of Boston initiative, which will link destination
to destination and community to community, has
informed the thinking and been embraced by the
Mayor’s CA/T Completion Task Force and the
Central Artery Design Advisory Panel.
The Initiative selects 12 streets that, with the creation
of the Greenway, have the potential to form vital
connections between the West End and the North End,
as well as South Boston and Chinatown. At the same
time, a network will be formed of improved, pedestrian-friendly “21st Century Streets” that will create
new ways of looking at and understanding the city.
Targeted improvements to these Crossroads streets
will:
■ Make inviting connections among Greenway parks,
neighborhoods, and cultural destinations;
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
to provide public access to the Waterfront. From the
initiation of the Harborpark by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in the early 1980s, creating a continuous
47-mile waterfront walkway along Boston Harbor, the
City has been working diligently in partnership with
private developers, property owners and Harbor
advocates to improve waterfront sites and realize
its goals.
The Harborwalk system connects the City’s neighborhoods to its Harbor, leading to recreational, cultural
and historic attractions, and direct connections to
public transit including water transportation facilities.
The South Bay Harbor Trail is a 3.5-mile bike path and
walking trail that will connect Boston’s inner-city
neighborhoods with the Harbor. When completed, the
Trail will link the Roxbury, South End and Chinatown
neighborhoods directly to Boston Harbor. It will also
connect South Boston and the Fort Point Channel to
the Southwest Corridor.
The East Boston Greenway is a three-mile linear park
that will connect East Boston’s waterfront to the rest of
East Boston and be ideal for both walking and biking.
At the Marginal and South Bremen Streets entrance,
a 40-ton blue caboose, donated to the Boston Parks
and Recreation Department by Conrail, stands as
a reminder of the Greenway’s history as a railway
corridor. Currently, the park is completed from
Marginal Street to Porter Street with a connection to
the East Boston Memorial Park’s playing fields. Plans
for the extension of the Greenway through East Boston
all the way to Belle Isle Marsh are underway.
Underway
15
The Lower Neponset River Trail follows the path of a
former railroad bed along the shore of the Neponset
River. Traversing a rich variety of historical and
ecological environments, the 2.4 mile path serves to
link the Neponset area to the larger network of MDC
trails. The trail currently stretches from the historic
Port Norfolk neighborhood in Dorchester, through
Pope John Paul II Park, across Granite Avenue through
the Neponset Marshes, and through the Lower Mills
area to Central Avenue in Milton. Future connections
are planned from Central Avenue to Mattapan and
from Port Norfolk to Commercial Point, linking to
existing trails to Castle Island.
The New Charles River Basin will link the Charles
River Reservation with Boston Harbor, reshaping the
river and its banks in the “lost half mile” between the
Esplanade and Boston’s Harbor Park. The mouth of
the river, now obscured by dams, bridges and derelict
industry, will be rediscovered. These under-used
and disconnected edges of Boston, Charlestown and
Cambridge will become new recreational resources,
linking the nineteenth-century Metropolitan Park
System with the mid-twentieth century waterfront
renewal of Boston Harbor.
expensive. When asked to choose the single most
important reason keeping people away from the
Waterfront, the high cost of parking ranks second (18%).
Most Waterfront parking is reasonably priced
compared to lots downtown, but many residents and
visitors are not aware of that or do not understand
how to access affordable parking lots on Seaport
Boulevard that are within a five-minute walk of the
Waterfront. Most of these off-street spaces cost $9 or
less for a 24-hour period. The public appears to form
its opinions on weekday experiences, during which
the lots are often full. Many of the parking lots are
empty or almost empty on the weekends, leaving
a surplus of spots available.
Perceived Barriers to Waterfront Visits
60
58%
55%
50
45%
41%
40
30
Challenges
22%
18%
20
Parking
11%
11%
Too much
traffic/
congestion
Parking is
hard to find
10
A gap exists between public perception and the reality
of both parking availability and cost.
0
Even though Boston has approximately 15,000 on- and
off-street public access parking spaces within a fiveminute walk of the Central Waterfront—about 10,000
affordable spaces costing $10 or less for an 8-hour
period—only 18% of those surveyed responded that
there is “plenty of parking nearby.” In fact, 41% of
respondents feel that parking is too hard to find, and
the majority of those polled say they do not visit the
Waterfront frequently because parking is simply too
16
Big Dig
Construction
Parking is
too expensive
What are the major reasons you do not visit the waterfront and harbor more often?
What is the most important reason you do not visit the waterfront and harbor
more often?
Understanding
Boston
Ease of Access to the Waterfront
There is also a lag in the public’s perception of how
the transportation investments have improved access
to the Waterfront.
Although the Big Dig is nearly complete, the Silver
Line is open, and there is plenty of parking within a
five minute walk of the Waterfront, the public still
perceives access to the Waterfront to be a major obstacle. Only 41% of respondents said that it is “easy to get
to” the Waterfront. When asked to choose from a preselected list of reasons for not visiting the Waterfront
more often, 58% of residents cite the Big Dig among
their top four reasons. Another 45% cite the related
reason that there is too much traffic and congestion in
that part of the city. When asked to choose the single
most important reason that keeps people away from
the Waterfront, the Big Dig ranks first (22%).
Even though city residents identified the Big Dig as
a problem, suburban residents were more likely than
Bostonians to identify it as a significant obstacle,
suggesting that the perception might be based on past
experience. Construction delays have been prevalent
over the last five years. Although today’s drivers are
experiencing a much better flow of traffic, the public’s
perception has not yet adapted to this new reality.
Despite this finding, 69% of poll respondents still
indicated that they plan to visit the Waterfront in
the next year.
Connecting Harbor Destinations
While there is a diverse set of attractions and destinations on the Waterfront, many of them are spread out,
disconnected or not well promoted. In other successful
waterfront cities, residents and visitors spend an entire
day “at the waterfront,” shuttling from destination to
destination.
In Boston, there is little sense of the Harbor as a
destination and no coordinated attempt to market
the attractions and events as part of a comprehensive
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Waterfront package. As a result, people will visit one
particular attraction and then go home, rather than
take in a cluster of destinations at the water’s edge.
This phenomenon is exacerbated by the widespread
geography of Boston Harbor and the lack of easilyaccessible connections between destinations.
Water Transportation
Although it can be challenging to move between
waterfront neighborhoods by land, especially during
rush hour, it is an easy and often relatively inexpensive trip to make by boat. Unfortunately, Boston has
seen a decline in water transportation routes and
ridership, and a sharp decline in the subsidies these
services often require to succeed.
One important exception is City Water Taxi, a privatelyowned company that offers point to point service on
Boston Harbor. City Water Taxi has seen an increase
in both routes and overall ridership over the past
several years.
Despite this piece of good news, overall water transportation around the Harbor via commuter boats is
down. While there are 10 commuter boat nodes on
the Harbor, several routes have recently been eliminated, exacerbating the decline in overall ridership,
which is down from 1.4 million passengers in 2002
to 1.3 million in 2004.
It is important to note that the City of Boston’s Inner
Harbor Passenger Water Transportation Plan calls for
better connections between waterfront neighborhoods.
The City, in partnership with the Executive Office of
Transportation and Construction and Massport, is
working to invest in water transportation infrastructure and improved ridership, and leveraging private
investments through the planning process.
Unfortunately, recent cutbacks in service and routes
by the MBTA preclude residents from neighborhoods
that face critical transportation and traffic challenges
from using water transportation to connect or
commute to other city neighborhoods via the water.
Underway
17
Harborwalk Connections
Affordability
The Harborwalk is intended to be a seamless network
of paths along the water’s edge—and will include
nearly 47 miles of trails when completed. The project
is well marked, with 47 signs between North and
South Stations, but there are far too many breaks in
the walk and only three clearly marked public bathrooms between North and South Stations. In addition,
sections of the Harborwalk are not obvious or are
privatized and appear to deter passage, discouraging
walkers from discovering connections to 18 miles of
Waterfront trails. The City is working to improve
public awareness of Harborwalk through an
improved signage program, outreach and the
Harborwalk website, www.bostonharborwalk.com.
Many of today’s attractions and destinations on the
Waterfront are costly when compared to other popular
activities in the city, like skating on the Boston
Common’s Frog Pond ($3 for adults and free for
children), taking a Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden
($2.50 for adults/$1 for children), or free events and
festivals in Boston’s many parks.
Accessibility for People with Disabilities
It is crucial that all waterfront areas be accessible
to people with disabilities. Recognizing the city’s
diverse population and the increasing number of
Baby Boomers aging in place, improving accessibility
is a primary concern. While the Waterfront provides
amenities for bikers and walkers (440 bicycle racks
and 357 benches for the leisurely visitor), accessibility
for people with disabilities can be challenging.
The obstacles include Harborwalk surfaces, which
are made of rough brick, boardwalk, or poorly maintained surfaces, inadequate signage, and lack of access
to docks and vessels. Throughout the Harbor, there
are only 12 accessible docks, with another seven
planned for construction. Unfortunately some docks
were not designed with the disabled in mind and rely
on unreliable mechanical devices called “ramp riders”
to provide gangway accessibility. A final obstacle is
that when docks are readily accessible, many do not
have appropriate ‘bridge plates’ that help people
with disabilities to move from dock to vessel.
18
The cost of attractions and activities was identified by
those polled as a barrier to bringing more people to the
Central Waterfront. Sixty-eight percent of respondents
said they would be likely to visit the Waterfront if there
were price reductions on attractions admissions, and
66% said they would be likely to visit if there were
more discounts and package deals on admissions
and parking.
One area of demand, opportunity and room for growth
identified by those surveyed is free programming and
events on the Waterfront, which would help existing
businesses and attract Boston residents and residents
from throughout the region as well as visitors. Indeed,
73% of all respondents said that they would be more
likely to visit the Waterfront if there were more free
events and activities.
Today, there are few free events on the Harbor or
Waterfront attracting more than 10,000 participants,
and there is no annual signature event like July 4th
on the Esplanade, which attracts more than 500,000
people each year.
The Waterfront is increasingly home to new public
spaces of every size and shape where free events
and festivals can be held, as well as free programs
of various sizes and descriptions—from street
performers to major concerts.
Understanding
Boston
3. Activity and Diversity of Use on the Waterfront
Twenty years ago, it was difficult to find a cold soda,
cup of coffee, or even a public restroom on the Waterfront. Today, there are more than 400 restaurants and
cafes in Waterfront neighborhoods and over 50 in the
Central Waterfront area alone—from Lovejoy Wharf
to the Bank of America Pavilion. The public has noticed.
Sixty-eight percent of the regional and city residents
polled value restaurants as one of the most important
attributes of a great waterfront, and 60% of those
polled indicated that Boston’s Waterfront has many
restaurants. The most appealing Waterfront activity
remains dining out; among those who have dined out
along the Waterfront in Boston in the last five years,
72% describe the experience as appealing.
In addition, the Waterfront hosts some of the city’s
most important cultural facilities including: the Boston
Children’s Museum, which attracted 410,000 visitors
in 2004; the New England Aquarium, which attracted
1.6 million visitors in 2004; the USS Constitution,
which attracted more than 239,000 visitors in 2004;
Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which attracted 20 million
visitors in 2004; the Boston Harbor Islands, which
attracted 60,000 visitors in 2004; and Bank of America
Pavilion, which attracted 125,000 people last year.
Recent Investments in Cultural Institutions
The Institute of Contemporary Art’s 62,000-square-foot, four-story museum is under
construction on Fan Pier. The new landmark building will include 18,000 square feet
of gallery space for works by leading contemporary artists, a 300-seat theater for public
performances, educational facilities, and a bookstore and restaurant. Once completed,
the ICA will provide a contemporary art experience on the Harbor, bringing a new
constituency to the Waterfront.
The Tea Party Ship and Museum will begin its restoration after the completion of the current
renovation of the Congress Street Bridge, bringing a favorite maritime attraction back to
the Central Waterfront, with two additional masted vessels, a tearoom and access for
people of all abilities in 2006.
The Boston Children’s Museum has embarked on a major capital plan to renovate its site
and facility. The multi-phased renovation will create compelling reasons for visiting
the Museum and varied opportunities for learning through exhibition, theater, and art
studios. The Museum is turning the Waterfront into a campus of indoor/outdoor venues
that attracts a broad, multi-cultural audience and provides connections to the water’s
edge. The renovation will provide a place along the water for the children and families
of Boston and beyond.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
19
Attendance at Waterfront Cultural Facilities
Location
# of Visitors in 2001
Bank of America Pavilion
125,000
157,000
125,000
Boston Children’s Museum
307,727
383,000
410,000
Boston Harbor Islands*
108,576
69,163
60,802
Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum
91,291
under renovation
Fanueil Hall Marketplace
20,000,000
20,000,000
JFK Library and Museum
239,988
205,078
1,205,647
1,316,643
USS Constitution
520,182
273,478
335,262
USS Constitution Museum
217,492
273,118
239,905
New England Aquarium
20,000,000
210,681
1,288,067
Source: Phone calls with cultural institutions
* Numbers reflect yearly ferry ridership but to not show visitors to the islands by other means of transportation (walking, driving, charter boats, private boats)
Parks, Trails, Recreational Facilities and
Public Spaces
Today, with the exception of the Working Port, the area
within a five-minute walk of the Harbor contains an
extensive network of parks, trails and public spaces,
which provide recreational opportunities and respite
for residents from around the city and visitors from
around the world. (See map and list).
With the completion of the first phase of the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, and the opening of a
new park at Children’s Wharf and of critical sections
of the Harborwalk and South Bay Harbor Trail, the
Central Waterfront is only going to improve.
20
Hotels, Retail, and Residential Development
The Waterfront is home to thousands of new residents.
In fact, the number of people living in Boston’s Waterfront areas grew by 12% between 1990 and 2000,
compared to Boston’s overall growth of three percent.
Waterfront areas accounted for more than 60% of all
growth in the City’s population in the 1990s.
There is also new residential development on the
water’s edge. While most of the new development is
high-end market-rate housing, due to the high cost
of development along the water, this development is
creating additional housing in neighborhoods where
people have not traditionally lived. This kind of
development, which includes affordable units, will
help to relieve the City’s housing shortage, ease
gentrification pressure in neighborhoods like Jamaica
Understanding
Boston
Parks, Trails, and Public Spaces
Today, with the exception of the
Working Port, the area within a
five-minute walk of the Harbor
contains an extensive network of
parks, trails, and public spaces,
which provide recreational
opportunities and respite for
residents from around the
City and visitors from around
the world.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
21
Plain and the South End and accommodate future
growth. Waterfront neighborhoods also host 608
retail operations and 16 hotels with a total of more
than 3,600 rooms.
Challenges
With new housing, hotels, office buildings, restaurants
and retail spaces, the origins of a vibrant and diverse
mixed-use Waterfront are emerging—as well as the
potential for new and thriving neighborhoods.
Interestingly, the public has yet to associate the
Lag in Public Opinion
mix of uses and the variety of cultural institutions,
restaurants, hotels, and attractions on the Waterfront
with the Waterfront.
Residents are most likely to name the New England
Aquarium when asked to locate the “Waterfront.” In
volunteered responses, 21% said that the Aquarium
comes to mind first when they think of Boston’s Waterfront. Tied for second place were the Boston Harbor
What location or place comes to mind when
thinking of the Waterfront?
25%
Hotel and Rowes Wharf (9%) and Anthony’s Pier 4
and Jimmy’s Harborside and other restaurants (9%).
The poll showed that when you call attention to
the number and diversity of venues, attractions
21%
and other aspects of the Waterfront, the number of
20%
respondents who described themselves as very likely
to visit the Waterfront in the coming year went up
significantly (from 52% to 69%).
15%
Activating Boston’s Parks and Public Spaces
10%
9% 9%
A tremendous amount of time and resources has
7%
already been invested in creating parks and open
6% 6% 6%
5%
spaces, including the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Green-
4%
3%
2% 2%
way and the redevelopment of the Central Waterfront.
Activating parks and making them integral parts of
0
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Bos Antho Charle
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U
the civic life of Boston will not happen by accident.
Rather, it will take leadership, financial resources and
creative programming to turn these spaces into active
public meeting places.
Critical challenges remain in achieving this goal,
the most obvious of which is funding.
Though a fantastic suite of open spaces has been
created, the need exists to: strengthen the connections
between them (with trails, paths, view corridors, and
wayfinding trails); develop new strategies to fund and
22
Understanding
Boston
A look into the future: kayaks and canoes in the Fort Point Channel. Rendering courtesy of Goody Clancy & Associates
maintain these connections; develop free and lively
new programming; and encourage the public to come
to the Waterfront for a fresh look.
Attracting Young People
The public perception of activity on the Waterfront
differs greatly with the age of the respondent, suggesting that more work needs to be done to attract a
younger population. Fifty-nine percent of residents
55 and older expressed the view that the Waterfront
is a fun place compared to 46% of those under age 30.
Sixty-two percent of residents 55 and older thought
there was a lot to do along the Waterfront compared
to 38% of those under age 30.
Gate Numbers and Attendance
the park includes 34 islands with a total of more than
1,600 acres. The visitation numbers for the Harbor
Islands have declined consistently for the past four
years, from 108,000 in 2001 to 60,000 in 2004. Other
notable examples are the USS Constitution, which
went from 520,182 in 2001 to 335,262 in 2004, and the
JFK Library and Museum, which went from 291,336
in 2001 to 210,681 in 2004.
Recreational Boating
While there are 25 marinas on the Harbor, there is a
serious shortage of slips and moorings, and demand
continues to grow. Moreover, there are only three open
public boat ramps, and none in the Central Waterfront.
Rowes Wharf, the Barking Crab, and Tavern on the
Water are accessible to recreational boaters, but this
is the exception and not the rule.
Gate numbers at many Harbor attractions have
declined. The most notable example is the Boston
Harbor Islands National Park, one of Boston’s most
prized and underutilized resources. Founded in 1996,
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
23
4. The Economic Landscape
The Boston Harbor Waterfront is poised to become a
major economic driver in the future of the City and
region. “The Leading Edge,” a report by Save the
Harbor/Save the Bay in partnership with the City of
Boston and the Boston Foundation, reported that as a
result of enormous public investments—and the major
private investments they have helped to stimulate—
the Waterfront is in the process of a dramatic physical
and economic transformation that will benefit the
region as a whole.
As the planned and proposed projects on the
Waterfront are developed, they will directly create
or accommodate approximately 47,000 new jobs—
a number equivalent to more than 9% of all private
sector employment in the City.
Public investment makes the Waterfront a more
valuable area for private investment, which ultimately
drives economic growth. The Central Artery/Tunnel
Project, Port infrastructure improvements, and the
Silver Line will improve access to the Waterfront by
connecting it to the rest of the city and region. Other
critical investments that have helped to shape the
Harbor include the Boston Harbor Clean-up, the
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and
the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.
Further evidence of the increased attractiveness of
the Waterfront to investors is the $8.4 billion in planned
and proposed development, which will produce over
20 million square feet of new construction.
The positive changes in the Waterfront economy
resulting from public and private investments are
visible in the growing Waterfront’s neighborhood
populations, employment rates, and earnings. “The
Leading Edge” reported that growth for the Waterfront is greater than the citywide growth average
in each of these three categories.
24
■ The number of people living in the Waterfront
district grew by 12% between 1990 and 2000,
compared to Boston’s overall growth of three
percent. Waterfront areas accounted for more
than 60% of all growth in the City’s population
in the 1990s.
■ Increases in employment are equally impressive.
Compared to Boston’s overall employment growth
of 11% between 1994 and 2001, employment in the
Waterfront zip codes rose by 29%, accounting for
88% of all job growth in the City in that time period.
■ After adjusting for inflation, earnings per worker in
the City’s Waterfront zip codes rose by 42% between
1994 and 2001 to $67,764—13% higher than the
citywide average of $60,014 per worker.
The Working Port
Public and private investment positively impact both
the new Waterfront economy and traditional maritime
industries. The traditional maritime economy consists
of industries that directly use or otherwise depend on
the Harbor, including cargo shipping, local, regional
and international water transportation, recreational
boating, fishing, and seafood processing. These
industries, based on or near the water’s edge,
provide a source of steady, non-cyclical, bluecollar employment for Boston residents.
■ Maintaining the Port of Boston’s continued
competitiveness requires substantial capital
investments. Massport and the City of Boston have
invested more than $100 million in the Port over the
past 15 years, leading to over $170 million in private
investment in the Port and the South Boston Marine
Industrial Park.
Understanding
Boston
Maritime Economy
Massport Cargo Volume
Total Number of Containers
Total Cargo Tonnage
2004
2003
175,679
158,041
1,510,382
1,374,209
Note: Containers are measured in TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units)
Source: Massport Terminal Reports
Port of Boston Cargo Volumes for CY2004
■ Boston is the most prominent Port of entry for oil,
fuel and energy in New England. It accepts 300
vessel calls and over 1.5 million tons of cargo worth
nearly $2 billion every year.
■ The Port includes the Boston Autoport, which
received 40,000 cars last year, the Black Falcon
Cruise Terminal, which had 95 cruise ship calls last
year carrying nearly 200,000 passengers, and the
Marine Industrial Park that includes 180 companies.
Examination of Port data for recent years shows
growth in vessel calls, number of 20-foot equivalent
containers (TEUs), and amount of cargo tonnage.
■ From 2003 to 2004, the total number of containers
increased from 158,041 to 175,626, an 11% increase
of TEUs entering and exiting the port.
■ The total amount of cargo tonnage increased 10%
from 2003 to 2004, from 1,374,209 to 1,510,382. This
growth in volume may be explained in part by
increased vessel calls by key transport companies.
■ Vessel calls themselves were up to 292 in 2004, from
266 in 2002.
■ In 2005, the Port of Boston will see five additional
cruise ship visits, carrying an additional 38,000
passengers out of the port.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Challenges
A Waterfront and Port that Works for Boston
The overwhelming majority of leaders and stakeholders from the Port and other marine industries who
participated in this report recognize that, despite the
changes that have occurred in nearby neighborhoods,
Boston’s Port is growing stronger and attracting additional public and private investments as well as more
cargo and a greater number of cruise ships. In addition, they recognize that the Port meets this region’s
oil and energy needs.
That said, during extensive discussions with stakeholders from the Port and other water dependent and
marine industrial users of the Harbor, some felt that
the needs of the Port were fundamentally at odds
with the mix of uses seen as essential to the future
of Boston’s Waterfront and extended community.
A few outspoken stakeholders from the Port believe
that pedestrians, visitors and cultural attractions such
as the Bank of America Pavilion or even the Institute
of Contemporary Art, threaten the health and future
of the Port. There are some who feel that youth sailing
programs, recreational boating, and even clean water,
are inevitably in conflict with shipping and the
maritime industry. The data, however, showed
no evidence to support these claims.
Underway
25
In fact, the data demonstrates that, on the water, there
are few actual conflicts between recreational and
industrial use. Though the Harbor is busy, it is
remarkably well managed, with no collisions and
very few “near misses” reported despite the proximity
of recreational boating and the sailing centers to the
main ship channels.
Port activity including shipping is a great draw for
the public along Boston Harbor. There are numerous
vantage points to get an up close view of large vessels
navigating the inner harbor.
However, there are very real conflicts over landside
boundaries, as uses change in adjacent neighborhoods.
In many ways, clearly understanding and defining the
boundaries between the Central Waterfront and the
working Port, and allowing for transitional use zones
between the two will help to minimize conflicts among
the diverse users. Where residential or other sensitive
uses already abut working Port activities, more
creative strategies may be necessary to minimize
tension between these very different uses.
On Boston Harbor, recreational, commercial
and industrial activity exist side by side.
Though there will always be tension, the data suggests
that the activation and mixed use development of the
Waterfront and traditional maritime uses can continue
to co-exist in Boston.
26
Understanding
Boston
Going Forward: A Proposed Framework of Indicators
In the upcoming months and years, as this framework
of goals and measures is used and reviewed, additional indicators will no doubt be added or refined as
others are suggested and new data become available.
And, as important institutions and players on the
Harbor collect data, there will be even more and better
information on which decision-makers can base their
policies, actions and decisions.
Dialogue about the future of Boston’s Harbor and
Waterfront will continue. The proposed goals and
measures of progress for Boston’s Harbor and
Waterfront is an evolving initiative and requires
participation, input and suggestions.
To access and download the data that supports this
report, visit the websites of Save the Harbor/Save
the Bay at www.savetheharbor.org and the Boston
Indicators Project at www.bostonindicators.org.
An Agenda for the Harbor, the Waterfront,
and Public Participation
The scope of the public and private investments made
in and around the Harbor makes setting a public
agenda for the Waterfront particularly important to
the City. It also requires that the agenda be responsive
to and focused on the needs of the public at large.
The City’s deliberate process of planning for the future
provides a foundation for the public agenda, establishing a sound framework for the revitalization of the
Waterfront.
That planning, along with the extensive public process
that went into this report, has resulted in broad
consensus based on shared goals for the Waterfront
that the City and the region can focus on in the short
and long term.
For Boston to realize the full potential of its Harbor
and Waterfront it must:
■ Have a healthy Harbor and Bay with near-
shore water quality that is appropriate for
active human use;
■ Be well connected to its surrounding neighbor-
hoods and to the existing recreational and cultural
destinations and attractions along the water’s edge
and in other parts of the city;
■ Be accessible to all members of the public;
■ Be an active and vibrant area; and
■ Act as an economic driver for the city
and the region.
Continued success will require a major investment
on the part of public agencies, the private sector, and
nonprofit organizations dedicated to the sustainable
development of Boston’s Waterfront. It will also
require financial resources, hard work and advocacy.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
27
A Strategy for Today
While many challenges will be met by supplying the
public with the information it needs to update its
perception of the new realities of the Waterfront, it
would be naïve to think that all of the concerns can
be addressed with data.
■ Work with the recreational boating industry and the
Some of the challenges—such as creating more affordable housing, improving access for the disabled, or
paying for new programming and maintenance for
parks and public spaces—are not unique to Boston’s
Waterfront and require citywide and even regional
solutions.
■ Strengthen the City’s youth sailing centers and find
Everyone has a role in addressing these complex
citywide and regional challenges directly when they
occur. Examples on the Waterfront include the need to
advocate for critical funding for the Rose Fitzgerald
Kennedy Greenway, the South Bay Harbor Trail, and
the Harborwalk.
To address the challenges the Waterfront faces, civic,
corporate and community partners must:
■ Ensure that the clean-up of the beaches in South
Boston and North Dorchester Bay proceeds on
schedule, that the flagging system protects the
public’s health, that critical monitoring efforts
continue, and that efforts to solve the water quality
problems present in Fort Point Channel continue.
■ Support the creation of a State-level beaches
commission to address the challenges facing
beaches from Nantasket to Lynn.
■ Ensure the completion of the South Bay Harbor
Trail to connect Roxbury, the South End and
Chinatown to Boston Harbor, and South Boston and
the Fort Point Channel to the Southwest Corridor.
■ Strengthen water transportation connections
between East Boston, South Boston, Charlestown,
and the Central Waterfront.
28
boating public to make Boston Harbor a destination
for boaters from around New England, with slips,
ramps, docks, moorings, and the other infrastructure
that is needed to enjoy Boston’s cleaner Harbor.
new ways to share waterfront opportunities with
the young residents of inland neighborhoods.
■ Create, support and promote free public events
such as art festivals, concerts, free movies, sand
castle competitions, kite festivals, fireworks, fishing
derbies and Tall Ship events on the Waterfront for
everyone to enjoy.
■ Work with the shipping and maritime industries to
conduct further analysis of key competitiveness
factors for the Port and look for ways to minimize
conflicts with nearby residential areas.
A Plan For the Near Term
The public opinion survey presents a clear picture of
the real and perceived obstacles that keep visitors and
residents from taking advantage of Boston’s Waterfront. It also clearly demonstrates that members of the
public are much more likely to visit the Waterfront
when they are reminded of all that it has to offer—
including museums, restaurants, boat trips, and other
attractions. The reemergence of the Central Waterfront
from the shadow of the Central Artery provides the
community with a dramatic opportunity to do just that.
Beginning in the Summer of 2005, Save the
Harbor/Save the Bay, in partnership with a broad
group of civic, corporate, public and community leaders, will actively promote the re-emergence of the
Central Waterfront as a way to move toward broader
goals for our entire Waterfront.
Understanding
Boston
Working with partners and stakeholders from across
the city, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will introduce
two initiatives to better connect Bostonians and
visitors from around the region and the world to
the Waterfront.
1. Boston By Boat
The clusters of destinations and attractions that make
up Boston’s Central Waterfront are spread out over
four neighborhoods, making it difficult to travel from
one to another, especially for families with young
children.
This summer, in partnership with City Water Taxi, and
with the support of both Massport and the City of
Boston, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will launch a
new, low-cost, weekend ferry service to create access
to the inner Harbor. “Boston By Boat” will connect the
Bank of America Pavilion in the South Boston Seaport
to the USS Constitution in Charlestown, with stops at
every destination dock in between.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is working with its
media partners and with the travel and tourism industry to develop innovative ways to disseminate this
information to the general public in print and through
the Internet. The calendar will be distributed by 200
community groups and institutions from across the
city in a special effort to ensure that Bostonians from
every neighborhood, as well as regional residents and
tourists are aware of the cultural and recreational
opportunities that the Waterfront offers.
New strategies will be pursued to make this information available in various languages and new ways to
take advantage of new technology like WIFI networks
to increase access to this information.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is currently working
with Waterfront cultural institutions, area restaurants
and businesses, and leaders from the travel, tourism
and hospitality industries to put together attractive
packages and discounts to bring people to the Harbor.
2. A Comprehensive Calendar of Waterfront Activities
Another challenge that emerged from this study is the
need for more free events and activities on the Waterfront and further promotion of those that do exist.
This summer, in partnership with the City and with
the support of Waterfront corporate, cultural and
community leaders, organizations and institutions,
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will create and distribute the city’s first comprehensive calendar of Harbor
events and activities.
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
29
A Strategy for the Future
Today, Boston’s Harbor is one of the cleanest urban
harbors in the nation. With the depression of the
Central Artery, the Waterfront is beginning to be
reconnected to its neighborhoods and to the city as a
whole. These are remarkable accomplishments, and on
the eve of the City’s 375th birthday, Bostonians should
be very proud.
Today, Boston Harbor is once again at the center of the
city’s future, a resource for all Bostonians to enjoy.
During the next 20 years, the Harbor will begin to play
an even greater role in Boston’s economy and the life
of the city. But for that to occur, critical investments
need to be made to ensure that the Harbor and its
beaches are great places for families to have fun, and
that the Waterfront is truly accessible, well connected,
economically strong, exciting, vibrant and diverse.
Great public places require planning, consensus, and
resources.
The investments required, though critical, are
relatively small when viewed against the enormous
investments that have been made over the past
decades—and they will leverage the billions of dollars
that have been invested and pay enormous dividends
in the quality of life for all Bostonians and the region
it supports.
The following goals and indicators of progress are
proposed as a tool to help accomplish great aspirations
for Boston’s Harbor and Waterfront, so that Boston
will once again be host to one of the greatest urban
harbors in the world.
30
To be truly great, Boston Harbor must be:
■ A healthy home to marine life and a great place to
swim, boat and fish;
■ A “must do” destination for city residents and out-
of-town visitors alike, a reminder of Boston’s great
maritime history and a great example of the “new”
Boston;
■ Common ground, like the Frog Pond or the Boston
Children’s Museum;
■ One of the reasons young people come to Boston to
go to college and stay after college;
■ A place where people of all ages can learn about,
and learn to cherish, Boston’s marine environment;
■ An open invitation to travel by water, on ferries,
cruise ships, charter boats, recreational boats,
windsurfers, canoes and kayaks, sailboats and
water taxis;
■ Part of the economic engine that fuels sustainable
prosperity.
Twenty years ago Boston Harbor was a source
of embarrassment. Today, it is a source of pride,
presenting the people of Boston with new and
unique opportunities to strengthen and enhance
the entire City and region.
Understanding
Boston
A Summary of Proposed Indicators and Findings
GOAL #1
THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION
Environmentally Healthy
• Ninety percent of the public surveyed believes that
A Waterfront with a healthy Harbor, water quality
suitable for swimming, fishing and boating, and
diverse, sustainable ecosystems.
the cleanup is not yet complete. They remain
concerned about the safety of swimming on our
beaches, boating in the Harbor, and eating its fish and
shellfish.
• While twice as many respondents believe that the
OBJECTIVE MEASURES
Cleanup was worth it as those who think it was not,
the majority are not sure.
Water Quality:
• Number of times Deer Island Sewage plant exceeded
a safe water quality test threshold
• Number of times the area around the outfall pipe
exceeded a safe water quality threshold
• Number and volume of oil spills
• Number of acres of salt marsh
• Mean annual dissolved oxygen saturation and
• The overwhelming majority of respondents believe
that the $250 million of additional work underway
is worth it. It is important to note that the suburban
respondents are equally supportive of the Cleanup
as urban respondents.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
concentration minimums
• The Harbor as an ecosystem is healthy with diverse
• Percentage and number of summer days that each
wildlife and plenty of oxygen.
Boston Harbor beach failed the safe swimming water
quality test
• The Deer Island sewage treatment plant and the
• Percentage of summer days that a swimming
advisory flag was incorrectly posted on the Boston
Harbor beaches
Biological Indicators:
• Eelgrass quality: number of shoots per square meter
and number of square feet
• Number of species and individual birds sighted
during the winter survey
° Number of Common Eider individuals
° Number of Brant individuals
° Number of Double-crested Cormorant individuals
° Number of Great Blue Heron individuals
Mass Bay outfall pipe appear to be working well.
• However, the Boston Harbor Cleanup is not yet
complete. The beaches of South Boston and North
Dorchester Bay will likely remain unsafe for swimming one out of every five days until the completion
of the improvements there in 2012. As a result, it is
especially important to address the shortcomings of
the current system of beach flagging to protect the
public health during the interim. Moreover, water
quality in other parts of the Harbor, such as Fort Point
Channel, will likely not meet goals for planned uses
even after the current round of improvements are
completed. This must be addressed.
• Benthic species (bottom-dwelling organisms) diversity
• Alewife, Blueback, and Atlantic Herring biomass
abundancy
• Number of Herring landings
• Monitoring costs in dollars
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
31
GOAL #2
Accessible and Connected
• Although the Big Dig is nearly complete, the Silver
A Waterfront that is physically and economically
accessible to a diverse public from the City and
throughout the region.
OBJECTIVE MEASURES
Line is open, and there is plenty of affordable parking
available within a five minute walk to the Waterfront,
the public perceives the Big Dig, traffic congestion and
the availability of parking as major obstacles.
• A majority of the public finds the cost of parking and
Physical Connections:
attractions at the Waterfront to be a major deterrent to
spending time in the area.
• Number of T-Stops in Waterfront area
• Despite these obstacles, 69% of respondents say that
• Number of commuter boat nodes
they plan to visit the Waterfront in the next year.
• Number of water taxi stops
• Number of parking spaces
• Number of water transportation routes
• Number of bike racks
• Number of recreational boat ramps
• Number of handicap accessible docks, ramps, ramp
riders, as well as the number of unpassable obstacles
along the Harborwalk.
• Linear feet of the Harborwalk (complete versus
planned)
HOW ARE WE DOING?
• By nearly every objective measure, the physical
infrastructure providing access to the Waterfront is
improving, with the exception of water transportation,
for which routes and ridership are either flat or declining. There is adequate public transportation as well as
an abundance of affordable parking.
• Redevelopment of the area will offer additional
places for public use.
• Waterfront activities today are costly when
Economic Access:
• Cost of cultural attractions
• Cost of parking
• Cost of hotels
compared to popular activities like skating on Boston
Common’s Frog Pond ($3 for adults, children free),
taking a Swan Boat ride in the Public Gardens ($2.50
for adults, $1 for children) or attending free events
and festivals in Boston’s many parks.
• Cost of housing
• Cost of excursion boats
• Cost of transportation
• Number and percentage of existing affordable
housing units
• Number of new affordable housing units as a
percentage of all new units
• Number of public recreational facilities
32
Understanding
Boston
GOAL #3
Active and Diverse
• Overall impressions of the Waterfront are generally
positive.
An active, vibrant Waterfront with activities for all
residents and visitors, regardless of age, race,
economic status, or ability.
° 60% of residents say the Waterfront has lots of
restaurants.
° 56% say they feel welcome on the Waterfront.
OBJECTIVE MEASURES
° 55% say the Waterfront has beautiful views.
Activity:
° Another 55% say that it is a fun place to go.
• Waterfront population growth
• The public perception of activity on the Waterfront
• Waterfront population by race
differs greatly with age.
• Gate numbers for attractions
• Ridership for public and water transportation
Attractions:
° The over-55 age group is more likely to see the Water-
front as a fun place to go with a lot of things to do.
° In contrast, significantly fewer respondents in the
• Number and variety of cultural attractions
• Number and variety of restaurants
• Number of public events
30-and-under age bracket perceive the Waterfront
to be a fun and exciting destination. In general, they
are more likely to spend time in Central Boston.
• Across all age groups, dining out remains the most
popular activity on the Waterfront.
• Number of hotels and rooms
• Number of excursion boat companies
• Number of retail establishments
HOW ARE WE DOING?
• Miles of trails and Harborwalk
• The Waterfront hosts some of our City’s most impor-
• Acreage of open space
• Number of bathrooms, ATMs and benches in the
central Waterfront
tant cultural institutions and historical sites. In addition, there are a significant number of restaurants and
a variety of boating opportunities. Despite the large
number of activities, there are few major free or public
events on the Waterfront.
• Number of marinas, slips, moorings
• Currently, the area has great appeal for the
• Number of public boat ramps
over-55 age group but not for the single, under-30
demographic.
Facilities:
• Number of public recreational facilities
Economic Access:
• Attendance at some of the most notable attractions,
• Cost of cultural attractions
including the Harbor Islands, has declined.
• Cost of parking
• Cost of hotels
• Cost of housing
• Cost of excursion boats
• Cost of transportation
• Number and percentage of affordable housing units
• Number of new affordable housing units
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Underway
33
GOAL #4
An Economic Driver
• There is demand among both City and suburban
A Waterfront that is a source of economic investment
and a driver of prosperity for the City and region, with
a healthy Port.
residents for access to the Waterfront. When the public
learns about all that the Waterfront and the Harbor
have to offer, demand increases significantly (from
52% to 69%).
OBJECTIVE MEASURES
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Investments:
• The enormous public investment in and around the
• Public Investments
° The Boston Harbor Project
Harbor’s edge has stimulated major private investment and laid the foundation for a renaissance on the
Waterfront.
° The Central Artery/Tunnel Project
° The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
° Port infrastructure improvements
° The Silver Line
• Private Investments
° New retail space
° New office space
° New hotels
° New residential space
Outputs:
• Earnings per worker at Waterfront establishments
• Employment at Waterfront establishments
Healthy Port:
• Massport Direct Economic Activity
° Number of containers
° Total cargo tonnage
° Dollar value of cargo
• Number of cruiseship calls and cruiseship passengers
• Number of port-related jobs
° Today there are $8.4 billion in planned and proposed
private sector development which, when completed,
will create or accommodate over 47,000 jobs.
• Today the Waterfront is at the leading edge in
population, jobs and earnings.
° Between 1994 and 2001, employment in Boston’s
Waterfront Zip Code areas rose by 29% compared
to Boston’s overall employment growth of 11%.
° The number of people living on the Waterfront
increased by 12% between 1990 and 2000.
° After adjustments for inflation, earnings per worker
in the City’s Waterfront Zip Codes rose by 42%
between 1994 and 2001.
• While the new Waterfront economy has become the
driving force of the Harbor economy, the traditional
maritime industrial economy of the working Port is
attracting additional public sector investments and
showing signs of growth. The Port also continues to
provide the critical energy resources to the region.
• Number of marine casualties (collisions, allisions and
groundings)
• Autoport Economic Activity
° Number of auto-carrier ships
° Number of salt ships
° Number of vehicles
° Salt cargo tonnage
° Dollar value of cargo
34
Understanding
Boston
Acknowledgments
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay:
Bruce Berman, Lauren Budding, Rebecca Ginns, and Matt Wolfe
The City of Boston:
Jim Alberque, Rebecca Barnes, Ken Greenberg, and Rich McGuinness
The Boston Foundation:
Mary Jo Meisner, Ann McQueen, Charlotte Kahn, and Barbara Hindley
Project Facilitator:
Kevin Colcord, Lean Alliance, Inc.
Designer:
Kate Canfield, Canfield Design
Maps and Photography:
Boston Redevelopment Authority
Many thanks to all those who participated in this project.
Katherine Abbott
Bob Adams
Bissera Antikarov
Mason Arion
Sam Barnard
Rebecca Barnes
Ricardo Barreto
Kip Becker
Paul Bessire
Gregory Bialecki
Barry Bluestone
Steven Bois
Peter Borelli
James Boyle
Julie Brandon
Jharry Breed
Jamy Buchanan Madeja
Tom Butler
Art Canter
Lou Casagrande
Roger Cassin
David Choate
John Ciccarelli
Alan D. Circeo
Denise Coll
Frank Connolly
Lauren Coughlin
Brian Cox
Ralph Cox
Tom Cox
Bonnie Cronin
Joey Cuzzi
Lucky Devlin
Paul Diggins
Matthew Dillon
Richard Dimino
Boston’s
Harbor
and
Patrick Donaher
James Doolin
Dick Dray
John Drew
Marcia Duffy
Colin Durrant
William Eldridge
Brian Fallon
Captain Gregg Farmer
Liesel Fenner
John Ferrell
Neil F. Fitzpatrick
Valerie Fletcher
Rosanne Foley
Todd Fontanella
Shawn Ford
Cheryl Forte
Maria Freddura
Lieutenant Claudia Gelzer
Carol W. Gladstone
Bryan Glascock
Astrid Glynn
Neil Gordon
John Green
Ken Greenberg
Lisa Greenfield
Gretchen Grozier
Linda & Jonathan Haar
Deb Hadden
Larry Harris
Chris Hart
Milton Herbert
Jim Jensen
Lanny Johnson
Hubie Jones
Charlotte Kahn
Waterfront:
A
Renaissance
Robert Kaye
Daniel Kenary
Thomas Kershaw
James Klocke
Chris Kohl
Arthur Lane
Terry Lane
Gloria Larson
Frederick A. Laskey
Anita Lauricella
Susan Lavoie
Robert Lawler
Virginia Lawrence
David Lee
Doug Lemle
Michael Leone
Gary Lerner
Vivien Li
Alvaro Lima
Ed Lofgren
Russell Lopez
Mark Maloney
Sarnie McCaskill II
Captain James McDonald
Douglas McGarrah
Richard McGuinness
Rick McKenna
Rob McPherson
Ann McQueen
Jill Medvedow
Richard Meyer
Tom Miller
Ken Moraff
Vincent Nagle
Joseph P. Newman
Elizabeth Nicholson
Underway
Rick Nolan
Charles R. Norris
Vladimir Novotny
Paul Nutting
Daniel Nuzzo
Daniel O’Connell
Diom O’Connell
Bernard O’Donnell
Steve Palmer
Thomas Parks
William S. Peck
Judy Pederson
Carl Perry
Laurie Pessah
Bryan Peugh
Jeanne Pinado
Philip Poley
Thomas B. Powers
William Pressley
George Price
Andrea Rex
Dusty Rhodes
Lowell Richards
Elaine Richardson
Leona Roach
James Davitt Rooney
James E. Rooney
Larry Russo, Sr.
Larry Russo, Jr.
Donald Saunders
Lisa Saunders
Joe Savage
Terry Savage
Christian Scorzoni
Daniel E. Scully, Jr.
Dwight Seams
35
Peter Shelley
Kairos Shen
Bonnie Shershow
Jessica Siler
Tom Skinner
Scott Smith
Richard J. Snyder
Andrew Solow
Harold Sparrow
Bill Spence
Jay Spence
David Spillane
Billy Spitzer
William S. Spitzer
Ivey St. John
Philip Stamm
Emily Stavis
Cathleen Douglas Stone
David M. Sullivan
John P. Sullivan
Daniel Surette
Maryann Gilligan Suydam
Raysa Tapia
James P. Travers, Jr.
Michael Tyrrell
Robert Varney
Julie Vitek
Michael Wagner
Philip Warburg
Kyle B. Warwick
Mary Watkins
Victor Watson
Robert Weiss
Doug Welch
Ridge White
Jack Wiggin
Beverly Wing
Captain Steve Winkler
Fred Yalouris
Mary Yntema
The restoration of Boston Harbor and transformation of the Waterfront
would not have been possible without the dedication, hard work and commitment of
of numerous institutions, organizations and individuals over the past 20 years.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, The City of Boston, and the Boston Foundation
want to recognize the following for their important contributions.
Katherine Abbott
Adaptive Environments
Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino
Artery Business Committee
Bruce Berman
Boston Children’s Museum
Boston Environment Department
Boston Greenspace Alliance
Boston Harbor Association
Boston Harbor Islands National Park
Boston Harbor Watershed Associations
Boston Natural Areas Network
Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston Society of Architects
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
Valerie Burns
Cape Cod Commission
Rachel Carson
Cities of Boston, Quincy and Revere
Michael Connors
Conservation Law Foundation
Congressman William D. Delahunt
Michael Deland
Representative Robert DeLeo
John DeVillars
Lorraine M. Downey
John Drew
The Honorable Michael S. Dukakis
Douglas Foy
Environmental Protection Agency
Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs
City Council President
Michael Flaherty
Paul Foster
Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands
Judge Paul Garrity
William B. Golden
Charles M. Haar
36
Linda Haar
Eric Hall
Senator Jack Hart
George “Bunker” Henderson
Island Alliance
Elizabeth Johnson
Anna Faith Jones
Hubie Jones
City Councilor James Kelly
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Janey Keough
Senator John F. Kerry
Frederick A. Laskey
David Lee
Paul Levy
Vivien Li
Mindy Lubber
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch
Douglas B. MacDonald
The Massachusetts Congressional
Delegation
Massachusetts Port Authority
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
Massachusetts Water Resources
Authority
Judge A. David Mazzone
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
Ian Menzies
MIT Sea Grant College Program
The Honorable John Joseph Moakley
Robert Moir
National Park Service
New England Aquarium
Elizabeth Nicholson
The Honorable Thomas P. “Tip”
O’Neill, Jr.
Outfall Monitoring Science
Advisory Panel
Mayor William J. Phelan
Provincetown Center for
Coastal Studies
Andrea Rex
Lowell Richards
Joe Savage
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Beaches
Science Advisory Committee
Former Mayor James Sheets
Peter Shelley
Edwin N. Sidman
The Honorable Gerry Studds
Jodi Sugarman-Brozan
William O. Taylor
Ben Thompson
Jane Thompson
Massachusetts State Senate President
Robert E. Travaglini
Marcie Tyre
United States Attorney’s Office
United States Coast Guard
Urban Harbors Institute,
University of Massachusetts Boston
Robert Varney
Representative Brian Wallace
Representative Martin Walsh
The Honorable William F. Weld
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
We gratefully acknowledge the region’s
philanthropic institutions, foundations,
and individuals whose generosity
makes this work possible.
A special thanks to the ratepayers from
the 43 MWRA cities and towns.
Our sincere apologies to anyone who
we may have inadvertently overlooked.
Understanding
Boston

Boston`s Harbor and Waterfront A Renaissance Underway

Transcription

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