Harborwalk 2.0

HARBORWALK 2.0

Harborwalk 2.0 is a bolder vision for the waterfront of Boston and the surrounding communities. 

Nearly four decades of planning and development has created an extensive network of waterfront paths and parks on public and private property. Chapter 91, a state law that provides public access rights to the water and expands the public benefits to filled tidelands, helped the City of Boston to establish a waterfront walking path across public and private lands that has been branded as the “Harborwalk.” The nearly 40 miles of waterfront access is publicly accessible, but it is not all equally welcoming or well-prepared for the climate crisis.

Boston Harbor Now is pushing for a bolder waterfront vision encapsulated by

Harborwalk 2.0:

  • RESILIENCE – The waterfront should be prepared for the impacts of climate change, including coastal and stormwater flooding and heat.
  • EQUITY – The waterfront should center equity and inclusion in the development of its design, construction practices, tenants, and programming.
  • ACCESS – The waterfront should be accessible and welcoming, reflected in its activation, connectivity to other waterfront paths and to the city’s neighborhoods, and signage.

 

VISUALIZING HARBORWALK 2.0

Learn more about what this could look like in our report:

Visualizing Harborwalk 2.0: Designing for a More Resilient and Equitable Waterfront for Greater Boston

This guide illustrates some of the ways the principles might be realized across a range of coastal conditions. Though written for Boston, these principles can be applied to other urban waterfronts in Massachusetts and beyond.

 

FORT POINT RESOURCE GUIDE

Boston Harbor Now worked with the Fort Point Neighborhood Association, the Boston Society for Architecture, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, the Stone Living Lab, and the Boston Planning and Development Agency on a community workshop series to develop ideas for Harborwalk 2.0 specific to the Fort Point Channel. 

The resulting resource guide provides context for the neighborhood, past and ongoing planning processes and projects, and a comprehensive list of the community recommendations. 

Harborwalk 2.0: Fort Point Resource Guide (Coming Winter 2024)

Three design teams developed in depth proposals. 

  • Accessible Arcade presentation
  • Channel RATS presentation
  • Massachusetts Park Slides presentation

 

AN ITERATIVE IDEA

Working with community members, other advocates, government agencies, and designers, we continue to refine our goals for Harborwalk 2.0. This blog post from February 2021 reflects our thinking at the time. 

Want to get involved in the next chapter or bring community workshops to your neighborhood, contact Kelly Sherman at ksherman@bostonharbornow.org