Event Recap: CLIMATE READY BOSTON | DOWNTOWN AND NORTH END
August 14, 2019
On August 8, 2019, A Better City (ABC) invited representatives from the City of Boston and the Boston Planning and Development Agency to give an overview of Climate Ready Boston Downtown & North End to ABC, Sustainable Buildings Initiative and Greenway BID members. Climate Ready Boston has been working through neighborhoods most vulnerable to climate risks to understand flood pathways and develop both short- and long-term solutions.
The Downtown and North End neighborhoods have been divided into three sub-districts for planning purposes: Downtown and Wharf District (a current flood entry point); North End Waterfront; & North End-West End (a current flood entry point). These areas have varied ownership, including private, city, state, and federal; a variety of subsurface conditions, including highway tunnels and exits, and MBTA tracks and a station; and a vast difference in bulkhead conditions. For each of the three sub-districts, two options are being considered:
- A raised road option that would include flood protection along an existing artery; and
- A waterfront option that would include raised land and potentially filled land on the periphery of the sub-district.
Given differences in ownership, use, and the requirements to coordinate with other city and state agencies across different sub-districts, there was a lot of discussion around how to customize intervention strategies for a range of needs. Members encouraged Climate Ready Boston to promote strategies that would facilitate collaboration across neighboring parcels of land, and that would help to advance public-private partnerships and district-scale solutions.
The Climate Ready Boston Downtown & North End report is expected to be released in Fall 2019.
Find event slides here.
