Four Enhancements to Boston's Walkability and Cultural Vitality

Intro

Marginal Street in Jeffries Point, East Boston

In the East Boston Piers lies potential urban planners and developer could only dream of. A wide vacant lot sits alongside a beautiful park minutes from downtown Boston via transit—the potential to leave a strong, groundbreaking lasting impression upon the area's cultural energy, resources and walkability is endless. There is even a bordering harbor—a perfect opportunity to design architecturally-significant structures and open space that will link the area with the surrounding water.

Yet despite all of this potential for greatness, the developments along the East Boston Waterfront thus far have been generic condo projects that are very well-appointed and offer gorgeous waterfront views yet in the long run do not add to the area's cultural vitality and are not particularly architecturally significant. PHOTOS HERE.

With the East Boston Waterfront being widely touted as one of the next "hot neighborhoods" for Boston development, it is crucial that the opportunity to build a significant waterfront destination in East Boston not be missed out upon. Currently, the East Boston Waterfront appears to be headed in the direction of the Seaport District—generic, well-appointed dense buildings and waterfront paths, yet very few resources that make the area a place where people want to spend time. Before the East Boston Waterfront becomes another condo neighborhood on the water, I strongly encourage those in whose hands the East Boston Waterfront's development lies to bring a few more ICAs and Liberty Wharfs to East Boston in addition to condos.

The East Boston Waterfront, currently primarily open land, can become Boston's next destination for performing and visual arts. While Boston is a city with abundant history, performing arts, restaurants and other fine cultural pursuits, Boston lacks key arts venues, namely an opera house, ADD. Currently, the plan.... unbuilt, unlikely to change but should be considered

http://bldup.com/project/portside-pier-one/

TAKE OUT THE GENERIC CONDO STUFF, JUST SAY BUILD AN ARCHITECTURALLY-SIGNIFICANT OPERA HOUSE AND GALLERIES AND ARTS SPACES, ETC. MAYBE NOT JUST JEFFRIES POINT—OTHER EASTIE AREAS TOO. (OTHER SIDE OF LEWIS? LO PRESTI? TAKE OUT JEFFRIES POINT FOCUS. focus on opera house though.

JEFFRIES CAN BE A CENTER OF CULTURE! IT'S PERFECT!

Currently just Portside.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2012/09/ship_comes_in_for_eastie

ENGAGE WHOLE CITY, DON'T JUST BUILD A GENTRIFIED CONDO NEIGHBORHOOD.

ICA—prime example of water architecture and culture

Gentrification

SHOW PHOTOS OF GOOD WATERFRONT ARCHITECTURE.

Jeffries

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Savin

South End Gap Bridge

Include stony brook landfill public art