Boston Harbor is at a critical moment in history. In an era of climate change and a building boom, how do we work together to create a waterfront that is accessible and resilient – truly a harbor for all?

Join Boston Harbor Now and public, private, and nonprofit partners for a two-event, interactive series addressing our harbor’s opportunities and most urgent challenges, with a focus on how we can work together to move key policies and projects from planning to action.

Our collective success in cleaning up the Harbor has created a new set of opportunities and urgent challenges. The planning and design decisions we make today will impact our waterfront for decades to come. Only by collaborating and breaking down silos will we get it right.

Please note: Separate registration required for each day (May 24 and May 30).

Advancing Collaborative Action

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, 8:30am-6:00pm
BSA Space, 290 Congress Street, Boston

Please join us for a symposium on how to realize the opportunities for great public spaces and parks, more equitable and innovative development, a strong working port, and long-term climate resilience.

FEATURING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS FROM MITCHELL J. SILVER

Mitchell Silver became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks in May 2014. Commissioner Silver is also the immediate past president of the American Planning Association (APA). Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 30 years of experience. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. As Parks Commissioner, Mitchell oversees management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland, which includes parks, playgrounds, beaches, marinas, recreation centers, wilderness areas and other assets.

Prior to returning to his native New York City, he served as the Chief Planning & Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, NC. In Raleigh, he led the comprehensive plan update process and a rewriting of the development code to create a vibrant 21st-century city. He was the Dunlop Lecturer in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University, and in 2014 he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Planning Association.

Mitchell received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Hunter College in NYC.

PROGRAM

8:00 am Coffee and registration, Fort Point Room

Opening Remarks

8:30 am, Fort Point Room

Keynote Address: Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, PP, RTPI (hon.), FPIA (hon.)

9:00 am – 10:00 am, Fort Point Room

Waterfront tours

10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Depart from Fort Point Room

• Chelsea Creek, led by John Walkey, GreenRoots
• Downtown and Greenway, led by Jill Valdes Horwood, Boston Harbor Now, and Linda Jonash
• East Boston Waterfront, led by Alex DeFronzo, Piers Park Sailing Center
• Lower Mystic, led by Amber Christoffersen, Mystic River Watershed Association
• Moakley Park, led by Amy Whitesides, Stoss 
• Seaport, led by Kathryn Carlson, A Better City

Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 pm, BSA Space and Fort Point Room

Panel Discussion: Creating a Climate-resilient Waterfront and Harbor

2:00 – 3:00 pm, Fort Point Room

• Katie Choe, CCM, chief engineer and director of construction management for the Boston Public Works Department
• Carly Foster, principal planner for resilience, cost benefit analysis, and implementation for Arcadis
• Paul Kirshen, professor, School for the Environment, and academic director, Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston
• Moderator: Bud Ris, Boston Green Ribbon Commission

“Pop-up talks” & Coffee

Short talks on arts, the history of the harbor and waterfront, waterfront activation, and climate resilience
3:00 – 3:30 pm, BSA Space Gallery, Channel Room & Harbor Room

• “Black Mariners” – L’Merchie Frazier, Museum of African American History, Boston/Nantucket
• “Interact with Boston Harbor” – Jason Talbot, Artists for Humanity
• “Swim the Charles” – Laura Jasinski, Charles River Conservancy
• “Climate Ready South Boston: Planning and Next Steps” – Mia Mansfield, City of Boston
• “Beyond Walls: Activating Space on Lynn’s Waterfront” – Al Wilson, Beyond Walls
• “Freestyle Days on Bumpkin” – Carolyn Lewenberg, MAPC Artist-in-Residence

Panel Discussion: Creating and Maintaining Open Spaces

3:30 – 4:30 pm, Fort Point Room

• Nick Black, managing director, Boston Waterfront Initiative,  The Trustees of the Reservations
• Priscilla Geigis, deputy commissioner for conservation and resource stewardship, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
• Chris Reed, founding director of Stoss and Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design
• María Belén Power, associate executive director, GreenRoots
• Moderator: Renée Loth, editor of ArchitectureBoston and columnist for the Boston Globe

“Pop-up talks” & Coffee

Short talks on waterfront activation and ways to get around the waterfront and harbor
4:30 – 5:00 pm, BSA Space Gallery, Channel Room & Harbor Room

• “Chelsea Creek Visioning” – ECO Crew, GreenRoots
• “Advancing Collaborative Action: Equitable Access” – Alex DeFronzo, Piers Park Sailing Center
• “Truck Routes and the Working Port” – Laura Gilmore, Massport
• “The Valkyrie: The Winthrop Ferry” – Tanji Cifuni, Town of Winthrop
• “Sharing Boston Harbor, the Seaport and the Islands” – Bruce Berman, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay
• TBD – Charlotte Rice, The American City Coalition
• “A new vision for two ships and a parking lot” – Chris Briggs, National Park Service, and
  Robert Kiihne, USS Constitution Museum
• “Metro Boston’s Multi-Municipal Climate Coalition and Examining the Climate Vulnerabilities of Shared Assets” – Cammy Peterson, MAPC

Panel Discussion: Managing Change on the Waterfront

5:00 – 6:00 pm, Fort Point Room

• Manikka Bowman, director of outreach and policy, Urban Land Institute Boston/New England, and Cambridge School Committee Member
• Abby Goldenfarb, vice president for development, Trinity Financial
• Sara Myerson, director of planning, Boston Planning & Development Agency
• Moderator: Matt Kiefer, Goulston & Storrs and City of Boston Community Preservation Committee member

Closing Remarks & Reception

6:00 pm, BSA Space Gallery

Tickets $75, includes access to all events, including tours, breakfast, lunch, and evening reception. Purchase tickets and see agenda here:

(In creating an event for the community, our team has been mindful of pricing tickets as reasonably as possible. However, we realize that for some, pricing may still pose a barrier to attendance. If this is true for you, please reach out to mdeean@bostonharbornow.org and we will do our best to secure your attendance.)