Boston 2024
A Stepping Stone for a Future City
Draft, February 2014 Prepared by PRAUD LLC 6 Spice Street, Suite 11 Boston, MA 02129 t. 617.2758141 www.PRAUD.info
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
We see 2024 not as the goal, but as a step towards building a better future for our city of Champions. 3
What is the Future Boston? Vision and Concept
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
INTRODUCTION As the bidding process wars on among cities competing to host the 2024 Olympics, potential cities argue the positives and negatives of hosting such event. Will it increase employment and the GDP of my city or will it bankrupt it? These economic concerns usually arise under the public sphere that compares such event to previous models. What we look to promote is not how Boston can hold an Olympic event, because it can, but how we can use this event as a way to improve our city with a vision of the future, Boston in 35 years, Boston in 50 years, Boston in 100 years and beyond. The Olympics hold an opportunity to leave a legacy of improvement and influence the growth and development for Boston. We can do this by introducing a new model for hosting the Olympics that aims at becoming a catalyst of improvement in different neighborhoods throughout the city and not just one location. We want to introduce the typology of the Satellite-Park Olympics. 5
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
CONCEPT The Satellite-Park Olympics The previous models of Olympic Parks work with a singular area that is usually designated outside of the city boundaries. This model has evolved and adapted to integrate urban renewal ideas, such as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London for the 2012 Olympics. Although this has been arguably the most sustainable attempt at hosting the Olympics, it still not the most optimum model. The urban renewal strategy only benefitted one area in the city, and demanded that the public sector takes interest in social housing after the event. The concept of the Satellite-Park could be explained as breaking the Olympic Park into smaller scale campuses distributed around the city. This could be developed in Boston because of the unique characteristic of Boston being both a Sport City and a Higher-Education City. These two conditions provide Sports Venues throughout the city as well as housing clusters. This combination could be enhanced into Micro-Parks that have a secured area combining Sports Venues as well as housing. Most of the criticism of similar concepts had to do with security and the desire for the athletes to interact. The Satellite-Park concept provides the security by combining Housing and Sports venue for specific events. The Aquatorium Park would have housing for swimmers. Athletics Park would have housing for the Track and Field athletes, and so forth. During the Olympic event, the athletes interact with other athletes form around the world within their sport. This is why we can separate the park into smaller parks. Allowing the athletes to focus on their sport.
Traditional Model for Olympic Park
Micro-Park Distribution
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How can we use the Olympics? Potentials for Improvement
Hosting the Olympics requires a lot of effort and investment from a city in order to accommodate the different events and tourism for the summer period. When the focus is on getting a city ready for that short period, it does seem like a waist to even apply for hosting the event. The focus we want to take is on how we can use the Olympics as a catalyst for improvement, an event that will leave a legacy for the city and allow for the city for tackle some of its needs. Boston is currently facing a challenge of attracting young talent, and convincing them to stay in the city. Our biggest resource, human capital, is been driven away by the lack of HOUSING. We also face issues of Public Transportation, and Tourism Infrastructure (including accommodations, and city navigation tools). We see this not as a challenge, but as an opportunity, a great potential for improving our city. All the new building stock need for new hotels, venues, infrastructure, could be conceptualize to hybridise programs in order to achieve future goals for housing, transportation, a growing tourism industry, and retaining our human capital. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
New City StadiumNew England Revolution
We can promote the sports in Boston by bringing the New England Revolution to the city, providing them with a venue after the Olympics.
New Tourist Infrastructure
430,000 New Housing Units Needed by 2040
We see this as a potential to hybridise Housing plus sports venues, creating new neighborhood typologies.
Boston receives over 20 million visitors each year. We could use the Olympics to improve information centers, convention centers, communication spots replacing pay phones, increase the navigability of the city.
15,000 New Hotel Rooms Needed
This is a great potential to introduce new typologies that combine hotels plus other systems needed by the city. Hotel+ Information Center, Hotel + Bike Sharing Stations.
Improved Rapid Transit System
Aside form just improving the current subway lines, we could expand connections, introduce new lines, and promote alternate methods of travel like Hubway.
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Can Boston Hold Big Events? City of Champions
As a city of Champions, Boston has hosted several triumphant events to celebrate its victories and spirit. One of these events resulted in one of the TOP 15 largest peaceful gatherings in the history of the world, the Red Sox 2004 Championship parade, which gathered over 3 million people. Similarly, parades for other championships (Boston Celtics 2008, Bruins 2011, Patriots 2004, Red Sox 2006) have gathered over 1 million people each. National events, like the 4th of July fireworks, gathers over half a million people to the banks of the Charles River every year. Although, all of these are single day events, it gives us a clue that the City of Boston can adapt itself to hold mass gatherings. From 20,000 people events at City Hall plaza to a million people cheering runners in the Boston Marathon. With these events in mind, we can conceive to create new typologies of venues that reuse not only existing facilities but some of the geographical, topographical features to accommodate large crowds. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Red Sox 2013 1 million
Boston Marathon 500,000 - 1 million
Bruins 2011 1 million
4th of July 500,000
Celtics 2008 1 million
LBGT Parade 400,000
Red Sox 2007 1 million
Patriots 2004 1 million
Red Sox 2004
3 million
Patriots 2003 1.25 million
Patriots 2001 1 million
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BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Boston Red Sox
2004 NBL Champions
Top 15
Peaceful Gatherings in World History
Over 3,000,000 people in a single event
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Where does Boston Currently Train?
Existing Sports Infrastructure
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Boston has a long tradition with sports. Within the administrative area of Boston, Fenway Park, and the TD Garden host the Boston Red Sox, Bruins, and the Boston Celtics. These world class facilities are some of the existing sports facilities that can be easily used to accommodate some of the sports. Gillette Stadium where the New England Patriots and New England Revolution play can also hold up to 68,000 people. Aside form the professional sports, Boston has world class facilities from some of its local institutions like the Harvard Stadium, MIT track and field, BU Agganis Arena, BC Alumni Stadium. The strategy for the sports venues is to reuse the major facilities (professional and university) that are already existing, and adapt the ones that would allow for higher occupancy. The following pages show a list of the potential facilities, and some of the potential “non-facilities� that could be adapted to Olympic Standards. The scope of area covered looks at facilities of over 6,000 people in capacity. Some incorporate other cities in MA that would benefit form the event. 15
Metro Boston - Major Facilities Above a Capacity of 6,000
All facilities within the Metro Boston region are within a 8km radius, creating a very tight concentrated ground of venues that spreads to different neighborhoods. This concept would eliminate the idea of one single Olympic Campus, and instead the city becomes the focal point. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
9 km 8 km 7 km 6 km 5 km
Ellis Oval
4 km
Suffolk Downs
3 km Constitution Beach 2 km East Boston Memorial Stadium
1 km Harvard Stadium
City Hall Charles River
Boston University Boston University
Hynes
Fenway Park Boston College
TD Garden
Parsons Field
Boston Convention Center
Matthews Arena Pleasure Bay Joe Moakley Park
Jamaica Pond
U Mass
White Stadium Franklin Park
0
1 km
5 km 17
Massachusetts - Population
FITCHBURG LEOMINSTER PITTSFIELD
NORTHAMPTON
WORCESTER HOLYOKE
WESTFIELD
SPRINGFIELD
153,060
6,646,144 Population of Massachusetts
4,591,112 Population of Metro Boston
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181,045
NEWBURYPORT/ NEWBURY
HAVERHILL LAWRENCE
LOWELL
108,522
DANVERS SALEM
Gloucester
BEVERLY
STONEHAM SAUGUS MELROSE LYNN MEDFORDMALDEN EVERETT ARLINGTON BELMONT SOMERVILLE REVERE WALTHAM CAMBRIDGE CHELSEA WATERTOWN NEWTON BROKLINE
FRAMINGHAM
WELLESLEY NEEDHAM
BOSTON
MILTON QUINCY DEDHAM
BROCKTON
PLYMOUTH
ATTLEBORO TAUNTON
FALL RIVER
NEW BEDFORD
0
12 mi.
19
Massachusetts - Major Facilities Outside of Metro Boston Above a Capacity of 6,000
Amherst
-McGuirk Alumni Stadium
17,000
-Mullins Center
10,600 Springfield
-MassMutual Center
6,679
Worcester
-Fitton Field
23,500
-DCU Center
14,800
These facilities in Amherst, Springfield, Lowell, Foxborough, and Worcester would be able to host some of the events, expanding the sense of “Boston Olympics� throughout the whole state of Massachusetts. Gillette Stadium could be the major Olympic Stadium. The triangle formed between Amherst, Springfield, and Worcester would also facilitate the accessibility and transportation in Western Mass. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Lowell
-Paul E. Tsongas Arena
6,496
-Cawley Memorial Stadium
6,000
Foxborough
-Gillette Stadium
68,756
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Existing Facilities in Boston Venues with Capacity of over 6,000
1. Harvard Stadium - 2. Alumni Stadium - 3. Fenway Park - 4. TD Bank Garden - 5. Nickerson Field - 6. White Stadium - 2. Conte Forum - 5. Agganis Arena - 7. Parsons Field - 8. Ellis Oval - 9. Matthews Arena -
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57,166 44,500 37,000 18,624 10,412 10,000 8,606 7,200 7,000 6,500 6,000
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
23
Potential Facilities in Boston No Assigned Capacity
10. Suffolk Downs 11. MIT 12. Jamaica Pond 13. Charles River 14. Boston Harbor 15. East Boston Memorial Stadium 16. Joe Moakley Park 17. Old Harbor 18. U Mass Boston 19. Joe Moakley Park 20. Boston Convention Center 21. Hynes Convention Center -
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10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21 25
Existing Facilities MassachusettsCapacity over 6,000
22. Gillette Stadium - 68,756 23. Fitton Field - 23,500 24. DCU Center - 14,800 25. McGuirk Alumni Stadium- 17,000 26. Mullins Center - 10,600 27. MassMutual Center - 6,679 28. Paul E. Tsongas Arena - 6,496 29. Cawley Memorial Stadium - 6,000
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22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
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How Would the Existing Facilities Compare to London’s Olympics Boston Existing Facilities Capacity of over 6,000 Gillette Stadium
68,756
Aquatics Archery
Harvard Stadium
57,166
Athletics
Alumni Stadium
44,500
Badminton
Fenway Park
37,000
Basketball
TD Garden
18,624
Boxing
Nickerson Field
10,412
Canoe Kayak
White Stadium
10,000
Cycling
Conte Forum
8,606
Equestrian
Agganis Arena
7,200
Fencing
Parsons Field
7,000
Football
Ellis Oval
6,500
Golf
Matthews Arena
6,000
Gymnastics Handball
MIT
Hockey
Charles Rive
Judo
Suffolk Downs
Modern Pentath
Joe Moakley Park
Rowing
Jamaica Pond
Rugby
Boston Harbor
Sailing
Hynes Convention Center
Shooting
Boston Convention Center
Table Tennis
Franklin Park
Taekwondo Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Weightlifting Wrestling
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London Olympic Facilities Capacity of over 6,000 17,320
Olympic Village (beds)
17,500
Aquatic Center
12,000
Basketball Arena
6,000
BMX Track
7,000
Copper Box
6,000
Velodrome
16,000
Riverbank Arena
80,000
Olympic Stadium
5,000
Water Polo Arena
10,000
ExCel
23,000
Greenwich Park
20,000
North Greenwich Arena
7,500
Royal Artillery Barraks
30,000
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
hlon
15,000
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
15,000
Horse Guards Parade
3,000
Hyde Park
6,500
Lord's Cricket Ground Marathon Course
6,000
Wembley Arena
90,000
Wembley Stadium
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The SatellitePARK Model Benefits and Potentials
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
The following section will explain the future scenarios that could be explored if we use the Olympics as a catalyst for improvements. The most recognizable form of construction for an Olympic event is the construction of Sports Venues. This is a huge potential to introduce new typologies of venues into the city. The city is in need of Housing so we could combine both and create Venues that could be adapted after the Olympics as housing plus venues. We can find potentials in areas for Housing, transportation, tourism, and neighborhood integration. 31
Olympic Parks of the Past 5 Olympics Areas
1.
2.
Atlanta 1996 .38 km2
4.
3.
Sydney 2000 2.42 km2
Athens 2004 .97 km2
London 2012 2.49 km2
Boston 2024 2.28 km2
5.
Beijing 2008 5.35 km2
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
The diagram on the left shows a comparison of construction area for hosting the Olympics for the past 5 Olympics. By introducing the Satellite Park strategy we can achieve maximum impact and minimize costs. Atlanta had a similar strategy, and as we can see from both diagrams, it used the least amount of area and produced profits for the city.
COSTS in billions of USD Atlanta Sydney Athens
China
London
1.8 7
15
40
P&L in USD +10,000,000 0 -15,000,000,000 +146,000,000 0
15 33
Olympic Stadiums of the Past 5 Olympics Atlanta 1996
Centennial Olympic Stadium Capacity: 85,000 Cost: $207 million Track and Field, and Closing Ceremony
Reconverted as A. Turner Field after the Olympics New Capacity: 49,586
Sydney 2000
Stadium Australia
Capacity: 110,000 Cost: $690 million Track and Field, football final, and Closing Ceremony Reduced seating after the Olympics New Capacity: 84,000
Athens 2004
Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 75,263 Cost: 268 million Euros Track and Field, football final, Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Beijing 2008
Beijing National Stadium
Capacity: 91,000 Cost: $423 million Track and Field, football final, Opening Ceremony, and Closing Ceremony Reduced seating after the Olympics New Capacity: 80,000
London 2012
Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 80,000 Cost: 486 million GBP Track and Field, football final, Opening Ceremony, and Closing Ceremony Transformed to a UEFA Category 4 venue after the Olympics New Capacity: 54,000
Prices of Stadiums in millions of USD for 2012 Prices Adjusted with Currency Conversions and Inflation Calculations
$299
ATLANTA
$616 SYDNEY
$399 ATHENS
$769 $449 BEIJING
LONDON 35
The Satellite-Park Model in Boston Distribution
1.09 km2 Revere East Boston Chelsea
.51 km2 Charlestown Somerville East Cambridge Everett
PARK 2 PARK 1
PARK 5
.16 km2 Allston
.22 km2 Dorchester South Boston
.30 km2 Roxbury Jamaica Plain
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
PARK 4
PARK 3
The distribution of parks allows to promote and benefit multiple areas of the city. In the diagram on the left we can note that 12 different areas would benefit from the distribution rather than having one single park. Some of the potential sites, like PARK 5 shown below, can benefit from the existing infrastructure around them to stitch the urban fabric.
SATELLITE PARK 5 CSX Beacon Park Rail Yard BU - MIT - HARVARD
3km
2km
Harvard University
1km 800m
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
600m 400m 200m
Park St
Boston University
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SATELLITE PARK 1 Charlestown BHCC/ Sullivan Square
The idea behind the satellite park is to combine as much of the Olympic Park into smaller parcels. This park can hold the majority of elements in order to still maintain the security regulations for the visitors and athletes at the park.
Transportation
-Sullivan Sq. Orange Line -Mono-rail connecting the entire site.
-Media Tower
20 Storey tower that can hold the 90,000 sqm media center. This can later become apartments, offices, and retail development.
-Housing
Athletes can stay in these micro-villages for housing. After the event, they can be converted into apartments or condos.
-Mixed Use Stadium
The stadium can be hybridized with housing. It can also become the new Bunker Hill Community College Campus, and the old campus be developed for housing.
-Training Rec Centers
Training facilities can become public amenities for the adjacent neighborhoods.
-Aquatorium
Housing plus Olympic Pools
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
39
HOUSING STADIUM
Developed at RISD for the Boston Olympics Studio (Fall 2013) Professor: Dongwoo Yim (Principal at PRAUD) Student: Jung Min Kim Because of its location next to two highway arteries, this site seems to be under utilized. The need for housing in the area hasn’t been addressed because of the lack of land. With this project, there is an effort to reconcile the need of a sports venue plus the need for housing by creating a “Housing Stadium” where the housing units camouflage the stadium in order to become part of the urban fabric.
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
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Where Would People Stay? Accommodations
We’re in need of 15,000 more hotel rooms.
But we see this as an opportunity. 15,000 hotel rooms would be equivalent to 75 new hotel buildings of 200 rooms each. Instead of building 75 new chain hotels, we can use this to implement new typologies that respond to social demands and needs of the city. We can introduce Hybrid-hotels. For example; we need more information centers for tourist, then we could make Info-tels where we combine both to create a network around the city. Another example, we can promote the use of the bicycle as a means of clean transportation in the city. We can combine the need for hotels and the bike agenda by creating Bike-Hotels, again with the aim at promoting a transportation system. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
1km
2km
3km
4km
5km
6km
7km
8km
9km
10km
Hotels in Boston 0
1km
5km
43
INFO-TEL
Developed at RISD for the Boston Olympics Studio (Fall 2013) Professor: Rafael Luna (Principal at PRAUD) Student: Lindsay Winstead The need for Information/ Tourist Centers in Boston could be combined with the need for more hotels. By combining both into a hybrid building, we could distribute them across the city creating a tourist network that helps visitors navigate the city.
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel
T The Weather Channel
T T
loc al
Currently there is only 1 tourist information center in Boston. Although information is available through mobile phones and computers, there is still the need of physical spaces that provide a safe haven for tourist to learn about the city. If new hotels are going to be built, this issue could be addressed quite easily by putting both programs under the same roof.
al glob
reg i
ona
na l
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
ti o
na
The Weather Channel
l
T Program for the Info-Tel
Renderings by student, depicting the new typology.
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How would we move around? Transportation Potentials
Boston has one of the best and oldest transportation networks in the country. The Olympics could help promote new agendas in transportation for the city of the Future. We are not worried about traffic congestions because of the Olympics, we are worried about the future mobility of the city. Could we promote biking further, could we implement new methods of transportation using the river? These are some of the possibilities that we should be researching. BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
DATA -TRANSIT TYPE
Commuter rail, rapid transit, light rail, bus, BRT, trolleybus, ferryboat
-NUMBER OF LINES 12 (commuter rail) 4 (rapid transit) 5 (light rail) 4 (trolleybus) 4 (ferryboat) 183 (bus)
-NUMBER OF STATIONS 123 (commuter rail) 51 (rapid transit) 74 (light rail) 22 (BRT)
-DAILY RIDERSHIP 1,299,900 (weekday, all modes)
-SYSTEM LENGTH 1,193 miles (1,920 km) (total) 38 miles (61 km) (rapid transit) 26 miles (42 km) (light rail) 8 miles (13 km) (BRT) 751 miles (1,209 km) (bus and trackless trolley) 368 miles (592 km) (commuter rail)
Mercer Consulting Survey 2012 The cities with the best infrastructure Rank City
Country
6 6 12 30 31 32
Hong Kong UK France USA USA Japan
Hong Kong London Paris New York City Boston Tokyo
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Boston Ring Connection
The current tentacle formation of the subway system forces people to go into the city in order to change lines. This creates a disconnection between neighborhoods. We could use the Olympics to push the agenda for a ring connection that focuses on the perimeter connections. This can be done with new subway lines, extending some of the existing ones, cable cars, water taxis, light rail systems, designated metro bus, new bikes connections among others. This could really start unifying the Metro Boston area.
Everett Broadway
Chelsea 6th Street
Sullivan Square
Union Square
Airport
Harvard Square
Harvard Ave
Coolidge Corner
Heath Street
Andrew
Jackson Sq.
Upham’s Corner
Franklin Park Zoo
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Revere Winthrop Ave.
Suffolk Downs
Emirates Air Line (gondola lift)
In order to create new connections that also benefit the local commuters, London built this Urban Cable Car system, crossing the River Thames in 2010. 49
Water Transportation We could use the existing river infrastructure to create a water route linking the Satellite Parks as well as different neighborhoods that are currently under served by the public transportation network.
Suffolk Downs Charlestown
Allston
Joe Moakley Park
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
Mass Ave Park
Developed at RISD for the Boston Olympics Studio (Fall 2013) Professor: Dongwoo Yim (Principal at PRAUD) Group Work: Alexa Asakiewicz, Chris Ardoin, Sean Chen We could integrate the Mass Ave bridge as part of a pedestrian strategy for linking both cities, Boston and Cambridge.
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What if the athletes get sick? Medical Services
11km
List of Potential Facilities
10km
9km
Boston
-Boston Medical Center 496 -Carney Hospital 159 -Faulkner Hospital 150 -Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary 42 -Massachusetts General Hospital 1,057 -New England Baptist Hospital 141 -St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center 524 -Shriners Hospitals for Children 30 -Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital 132 -New England Medical Center (Tufts) 382 -Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 631 -Boston Children’s Hospital 395 -Brigham and Women’s Hospital 793
Cambridge
-Mount Auburn Hospital -Cambridge Health Alliance
209 229
Metro Area
-Newton-Wellesley Hospital 232 -Lahey Hospital and Medical Center 329 -South Shore Hospital 327 -McLean Hospital 177 -Lowell General Hospital 189 -North Shore Medical Center 395 -Good Samaritan Medical Center 189 -Jordan Hospital 155
Total Number of Beds BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
7,363
Newton - Wellesley Hospital
US News & World Report Of all 75 hospitals in the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area, the 14 listed below are the top-ranking. This metro area includes Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Quincy.
Metro Boston Ranking Nationally Ranked Specialties 1. Massachusetts General Hospital 2. Brigham and Women’s Hospital 3. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 4. Lahey Hospital and Medical Center 5. South Shore Hospital 6. McLean Hospital 7. New England Baptist Hospital 8. Boston Medical Center 9. Tufts Medical Center 10. Lowell General Hospital 11. Newton-Wellesley Hospital 12. North Shore Medical Center 13. Good Samaritan Medical Center 14. Jordan Hospital
Ranging form university hospitals to community health center, Boston posses some of the best hospitals in the world, with the most cutting edge medical research and technology. Organized in a ring formation, the top hospitals could serve the Satellite Parks quite well.
Mount Auburn Hospital
8km
7km
6km
5km
4km
3km
2km
Cambridge Health Alliance
1km
Massachusetts General Hospital St Elizabeth’s Medical Center New England Medical Center
Boston Medical Center
Longwood Medical Area
-Brighams and Women’s Hospital -Boston Children’s Hospital -Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
0
1km
5km
53
BOSTON OLYMPICS 2024
As we have seen, Boston not only has the capacity to host the Olympics, but it has the capacity to grow towards a better city. 55