Development Overtakes Open Space in Boston's Seaport District

Planners worry that the success of the waterfront district has led to its overdevelopment.

1 minute read

July 17, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By Elana Eden


Boston, Massachusetts

Early construction work at the 50 Liberty project in South Boston, in September 2016. | Dan Logan / Shutterstock

Plans for "the last big chunk of developable land in the Seaport"—a 13-acre strip along Seaport Boulevard—call for a pedestrian plaza lined with shops. But while overall encouraging, a memo from the Boston Planning & Development Agency noted that the proposed paseo "is not fundamentally open space."

Although the growth of the Seaport District over the last decade has been considered a success, Tim Logan reports in the Boston Globe that planners and community members have worried that "there is too little park space, and too much of what does exist feels like it belongs to the denizens of the adjacent glass towers, not to the public."

Monday, June 26, 2017 in The Boston Globe

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

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.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

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.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

November 4 - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

November 4 - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

November 4 - Yahoo News