BOSTOn Goes global THE PROJECT THAT WILL LEAD BOSTON INTO THE FUTURE BY DANNY MCCARTHY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN | DESIGN BY LUDI WANG
In 1965, Boston City Hall drafted a new city plan that was fully released in 1967. It was largely the work of Mayor John F. Collins, who was in office from 1960-68. He became mayor of a city in fiscal crisis, with property taxes in Boston almost double that of New York and Chicago. Mayor Collins emphasized urban planning and his administration oversaw the construction of the Prudential Center complex and Government Center. Half a century later, Mayor Martin J. Walsh is introducing the first city plan since Mayor Collins’ time in office. Beginning the project under a campaign called “Imagine Boston 2030,” Mayor Walsh and his team started in 2015. They interviewed 12,000 residents and posed 5,000 questions to understand what priorities Bostonians had and what they wanted to see implemented in their city by 2030—Boston’s 400th birthday. The final plan will be solidified and adopted by Summer 2017. In addition to the auspicious fact that it’s been 50 years since a city plan has been released, Boston is pivoting itself towards the future for another reason: a grasp at global. According to a May 2016 Boston.com article, Boston ranked third “for the Global Cities Outlook study” and was “part of the Global Cities 2016 report.” This means that the report and study place Boston as one of the cities poised to become a global city. According to Saskia Sassen, a professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, who wrote the book The Global City: Introducing a Concept, a global city produces significant contributions that affect the globalized economy.
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James C. O’Connell, Ph.D., is a Community Planner at the Boston Office of the Northeast Region of the National Park Service and an adjunct professor in the City Planning and Urban Affairs department at the Boston University Metropolitan College. Dr. O’Connell argued that, in many respects, Boston could already be considered a global city. “Boston is the biotech capital of the world,” he said. As an education hub, “Boston is one of the great places in America bringing in foreign students,” investors and inventors. Global cities play into the global economy. Boston contributes to that global economy through its students and investors. According to the opening pages of the new city plan, “Boston is uniquely positioned to guide growth and shape a thriving city for the next generation.” In his introduction, Mayor Walsh reaffirmed the “right now” momentum of a new plan. “Boston is at a unique point in our history,” he wrote. “Our population is growing and becoming more diverse. Our economy is robust and dynamic. We are rapidly changing the ways in which we interact with the city, and people, around us.” Boston is already a hub of education. According to the 2015 Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city is home to over 30 colleges and universities with an average of 137,000 students at these institutions. As a nexus of education and technology, Boston has an advantage towards achieving global city status. The effort to increase Boston’s appeal and elevate it to levels similar to New York and San
Francisco started on a micro-level. Government Center, after undergoing a major revamp, is now the site of “Boston Seasons.” The year-round initiative aimed to revitalize the City Hall plaza by turning it into a multipurpose venue. The first stage was Boston “Winter,” an ice-skating rink cum winter wonderland marketplace, similar to New York City’s Bryant Park “Winter Village.” The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy utilized its 15 acres of greenspace strung throughout the city for art expositions. In 2016, it hosted Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s bronze sculpture set “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads.” In 2017, the Conservancy introduced Chicagobased artist Matthew Hoffman’s artwork “MAY THIS NEVER END” and New American Public Art’s interactive “Color Commons” installation. All art was designed and chosen to increase the interaction between the city and its residents. The plan identified areas for development. Some spots, like Sullivan Square and the Beacon Yards in Allston, are places with little “significant historical development,” according to O’Connell. That method avoids impacting historical integrity, which is heavier in places like the South End, a designated Landmark District. A large part of Walsh’s plan includes affordable housing. According to the first draft of the new city plan, Boston’s projected population by 2030 could be as high as 724,000. The current population hovers around 656,000 with an increase of 6 percent between 2010 and 2014. As a part of the plan, and in conjunction with the Department of Neighborhood Development, Walsh intends to add 53,000 units of new
