In an effort to improve the visitor experience and boost business, operators of a busy transit hub in Boston are bringing in performers and various activities to entertain people waiting and convince others to linger longer.
Boston's South Station is already a highly used space, but operators hope to make it more appealing for those who rely on it as a transit hub.
"Imagine a South Station with live music almost every day, along with performances by theater troupes, art exhibits, and a white-tablecloth restaurant, all while 100,000 people a day rush - or sometimes wait - to catch a train or bus.
That is the new vision of Equity Office, the company that holds a 30-year lease for the commercial space in South Station. The firm hopes to invigorate the grand concourse and entice people like DuVal to linger and spend money.
'We looked at it and said this is one of the best indoor spaces in Boston,' said John Conley, vice president of asset management for Equity Office. 'But the station is underutilized. We asked how could we take this terrific space and really enliven it.'"
Read the full story: A vision of South Station as indoor park
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
California city breaks ground on transit connector
The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.
After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker
Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority