Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway

Rose Kennedy Greenway

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway as seen from above

Map of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway

Type Linear park
Location Boston, Massachusetts
Area 15 acres (61,000 m2)/1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Created 2008
Operated by Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy
Status Open all year (daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
Public transit access South Station
Aquarium Station
Haymarket Station
North Station
Website http://www.rfkgc.org/

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a linear park located in several Downtown Boston neighborhoods. It consists of landscaped gardens, promenades, plazas, fountains, art, and specialty lighting systems that stretch over one mile through the Chinatown, Financial District, Waterfront, and North End neighborhoods. Officially opened in October 2008, the 15-acre Greenway sits on land created from demolition of the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway under the Big Dig.[1]

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is named after Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy Family who was born in the neighboring North End neighborhood. Her son, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, played an important role in establishing the Greenway.

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy was established as an independently incorporated non-profit organization in 2004 to guide the emerging park system and raise funds for an endowment and operations. In 2008, the State Legislature confirmed the Conservancy as the designated steward of the Rose Kennedy Greenway;[2] the Conservancy operates with a lease from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (now Massachusetts Department of Transportation).[3] Since February 2009, the Conservancy has operated the park, leading the maturation of this new civic space, strengthening its physical beauty, and encouraging a sense of a shared community in Boston.

The 2008 legislation established a 50%-50% public/private funding model. Today, each dollar from the state is leveraged by more than one dollar of private support.[4]

History

In the 1940s, planning began for a "Highway in the Skies" that would alleviate traffic congestion and provide a direct route for moving goods in and out of Boston. Construction of the elevated Central Artery began in 1951 and was completed in 1959, displacing more than 10,000 residents and demolishing some 1,000 buildings. The limitations of the Central Artery soon became painfully clear, however. In 1991, after almost a decade of planning, construction began on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, more widely known as the "Big Dig", which was recognized as one of the largest, most complex, and technologically challenging highway projects in the history of the United States.[5]

With the elevated highway to be relocated underground, Boston would be rich in prime urban land. Community and political leaders seized the opportunity to enhance Boston's city life by providing additional parks and gardens to connect some of its oldest, most diverse, and vibrant neighborhoods. The creation of the Greenway – a joint effort of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and various civic groups.

On October 4, 2008, tens of thousands of visitors came together for the parks’ Inaugural Celebration with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.[6][7] The following year, on February 23, 2009 the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy assumed operational responsibility for the parks. Today, the Greenway encompasses gardens, plazas, and tree-lined promenades. The Greenway is a key feature of the modern reinvention of Boston, Boston Harbor, the South Boston Waterfront, and the Harbor Islands.

Parks

Chinatown Park

Chinatown Park

Located at the southern end of the Greenway, this one-acre linear park contains design elements drawn from Asian traditions and art work. Designed by Carol R. Johnson and Associates[8] and May Sun,[9] Chinatown Park has a serpentine walkway edged by bamboo within bright red sculptural elements and a fountain that suggests a waterfall and shallow riverbed.

In 2011, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy partnered with local community groups, residents, and abutters to add the plaza tables, chairs and shade umbrellas,[10] while the City of Boston renovated neighboring Mary Soo Hoo Park to the south.

Dewey Square Park

Farmers market in Dewey Square

Located between Congress and Summer Streets along Atlantic Avenue, Dewey Square Park joins the major transportation hub of South Station to the Financial District. The park has gardens, lawn areas, and the adjacent plaza, which was designed to draw in commuters and nearby workers and residents. The tables, chairs, and food vendors have made Dewey Square Park a popular lunch destination, especially in the warm seasons when the plaza features the twice-weekly Boston Public Market Association’s farmers market[11]

In 2011, Dewey Square was the site of the Occupy Boston movement.[12][13][14][15]

Fort Point Channel Parks

The Fort Point Channel Parks are located between Oliver and Congress Streets along Atlantic Avenue, they are often referred to as the "New American Gardens" for their wide variety of trees and flowers that are often found in gardens of typical New England homes.[16][17]

The Fort Point Channel Parks, designed by Halvorson Design Associates,[18][19] were planted in 2008 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, with help from many volunteers including the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association.[20] Additional planting and ongoing care are the responsibility of the Greenway Conservancy.

Wharf District Parks

Rings Fountain in the Wharf District Parks

The Wharf District Parks connect Faneuil Hall and the Financial District with Boston Harbor. Designed by EDAW and Copley Wolff Design Group,[21] the parks contain areas of paved surfaces for active public use and a gathering space for public events known as the Great Room.[22] Three open lawn areas, surrounded with plantings, provide informal space for gatherings. During the warmer months, the Wharf District Parks host the Greenway Open Market,[23] food vendors, concerts and fitness classes. The Wharf District Parks are home to the Mothers’ Walk, a curving pathway that consists of pavers engraved with names and personal messages.[24]

The Greenway Carousel at the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove, inspired by the imaginations of Boston’s school children, opened on August 31, 2013. Instead of horses, the hand-carved creatures of this carousel are the wildlife found in and around Boston and its harbor.[25][26] NY Carousels, a subsidiary of Ride Entertainment Group handles the day-to-day operation of the ride.[27][28]

Harbor Islands Pavilion
One of the new additions to the Wharf District Parks, the Harbor Islands Pavilion is an open-air structure staffed by National Park Service rangers to welcome visitors and provide information about the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Ferry tickets and Boston Harbor Islands park merchandise are available for purchase at the pavilion. The Pavilion was designed by Utile[29] and opened on June 2, 2011[30]

Armenian Heritage Park

Armenian Heritage Park

The Armenian Heritage Park is dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and acknowledges the history of Boston as a port of entry for immigrants worldwide, and celebrates those who have migrated to Massachusetts shores and contributed to American life and culture. The Park consists of two key features surrounded by seating, brick paving and landscaping. The Abstract Sculpture, a split dodecahedron, is mounted on a Reflecting Pool, represents the immigrant experience. The Labyrinth,[31] a circular winding path paved in granite and set in lawn, celebrates life's journey. The Park and its endowed programs are a key initiative of the Armenian Heritage Foundation.[32] The park opened in May 2012[33]

North End Parks

North End Parks

The North End Parks reflect the scale of the adjacent North End neighborhood. Designed by Crosby, Schlessinger, Smallridge LLC[34] and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd.,[35] lawns surrounded by densely planted perimeter beds are designed to evoke a formal feel of past European style gardens with boxwood hedges enclosing an array of perennials. Along the eastern edge, a pergola covers a long "front porch" that provides both a place for sitting and an overlook for the lawn and the historic architecture beyond. A shallow water "canal" runs the length with vertical water jets adding a fountain like scene. This fountain reflects a period approximately a century ago when a canal connected the harbor to now defunct industrial operations.

Public art

The Conservancy has a program to install permanent and temporary public art on the Greenway.[36]

A permanent installation, Harbor Fog,[37] [38] by Boston artist Ross Miller, is located in the Wharf District Parks.

Janet Echelman aerial installation, "As If It Were Already Here"

A series of temporary installations have been placed on the wall of the the air intake structure overlooking Dewey Square Park. In 2012, Brazilian twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo (Os Gêmeos) painted a 70' x 70' mural on the wall, in conjunction with their first solo exhibition in the United States at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.[39][40][41] In fall 2013, a new mural, Remanence: Salt and Light (Part II) by Matthew Ritchie replaced the Os Gemeos mural.[42]

The third installation on the wall was "Seven Moon Junction"[43] by Shinique Smith, installed in 2014. "A TRANSLATION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER"[44] by Lawrence Weiner was installed on the wall in 2015 and will remain through August 2016.

In 2015, the Conservancy commissioned the installation of a work called "As If It Were Already Here"[45] by Janet Echelman. The installation was attached to several high-rise buildings, so that it was suspended above the Fort Point Channel parks.

An exhibit of sculptures called "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads,"[46] by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, was installed in April 2016 at the Rings Fountain in the Wharf District Parks, and will remain on exhibit until October 21st.[47][48][49][50]

Public programs

Public programs and events on the Greenway, organized in partnership with cultural institutions and businesses, have included art festivals, food truck competitions,[51] concerts, markets, and more, and are geared toward multi-generational and multi-cultural audiences.[52] Public use of the Greenway has increased from 96,000 visitors in 2009[53] to 800,000 in 2013[54] and to 1.19 million in 2015.[55]

Ongoing events include the FIGMENT participatory art festival in July,[56][57][58] the Boston Local Food Festival in September,[59] the Greenway Open Market from May through early October,[60] World Labyrinth Day in May,[61] the Berklee College of Music Summer Concerts at the Greenway,[62] and the "Greenway Mobile Eats" program,[63] which has brought an increasing number of food trucks to sites along the Greenway since 2011.[64][65]

Sustainable horticulture

The Conservancy uses organic and sustainable landscape management programs to maintain the parks and features of the Greenway. The Greenway is Boston’s only organically maintained Public Park and one of a handful of organically maintained urban parks in the United States. Organic maintenance means no expenditures for toxic chemicals, and lower expenditures for watering. Plants are healthier, more resilient, and better able to withstand the wear of public use. The Conservancy’s practice of using composting and compost tea instead of herbicides and toxins also ensures that run-off from the parks will not pollute Boston Harbor or harm the delicate marine life. Children and pets can freely and safely play on the park lawns without the worry of pesticides.[66]

Gallery

  1. ^ ""The Truth Booth" Comes to the Greenway's North End Parks". North End Waterfront.com. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016. 
  2. ^ "The Cause Collective". Retrieved 19 April 2016. 

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Big Dig - Highway Division". Massdot.state.ma.us. 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Session Laws: Chapter 306 of the Acts of 2008". Malegislature.gov. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  3. ↑ "Lease Between the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Inc." (PDF). Rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  4. ↑ "Greenway History". Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  5. ↑ "/ Beyond The Big Dig". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  6. ↑ "A beautiful day on the Greenway". Archived from the original on 2008-10-07.
  7. ↑ "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Inaugural Celebration". YouTube. 2009-01-26. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  8. ↑ "Chinatown". Crja.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  9. ↑ Southworth, Susan and Michael (2008). AIA Guide to Boston. Globe Pequot Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7627-4337-7.
  10. ↑ "New seating, shade for Chinatown Park". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  11. ↑ "Dewey Square Market vendors share park with Occupy Boston". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  12. ↑ "Occupy Boston: A view of life inside the tent city - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. 2011-10-13. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  13. ↑ "At Boston's Dewey Square, a protest of varied voices". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  14. ↑ "Occupy Boston's signs get the message across". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  15. ↑ "With winter closing in, Occupy Boston protesters debate next moves". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  16. ↑ "Fort Point Channel Parks and Dewey Square Park". Archived from the original on 2012-10-23.
  17. ↑ "Urban Arboretum, Rose Kennedy Greenway". Archived from the original on 2012-10-23.
  18. ↑ "Fort Point Channel Parks". RoseKennedyGreenway.org. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "Fort Point Channel Parks". HalvorsonDesign.com. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "Massachusetts Horticultural Society". Archived from the original on 2008-06-01.
  21. ↑ "Wharf District Parks". Archived from the original on 2009-10-26.
  22. ↑ "Behance". Behance. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  23. ↑ "greenwayopenmarket.com". greenwayopenmarket.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  24. ↑ "Mothers’ Walk - Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy". Rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  25. ↑ "Greenway Custom Carousel". Archived from the original on 2012-01-26.
  26. ↑ "Sculptor challenged by Boston-themed creatures for Greenway’s new carousel - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  27. ↑ "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  28. ↑ "Specialties". Ride Operations Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  29. ↑ Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion | Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning
  30. ↑ "Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion celebrates grand opening on greenway". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  31. ↑ Stapleton, John Paul. "What to know about the Greenway labyrinth". Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  32. ↑ Armenian Heritage Park
  33. ↑ "Armenian Heritage Park dedicated on Rose Kennedy Greenway to honor immigrants - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  34. ↑
  35. ↑ "Gustafson Guthrie Nichol". Ggnltd.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  36. ↑ "Public Art". rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  37. ↑ "Harbor Fog". RossMiller.com. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  38. ↑ "Harbor Fog". PublicArtBoston.com. Boston Art Commission. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "Os Gemeos". icaboston.org. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  40. ↑ "Greenway visitors speak out on mural controversy". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  41. ↑ Schmidt, Christopher (2012-08-13). "Writing on the Wall". TIME. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  42. ↑ "Matthew Ritchie Mural". rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  43. ↑ "Shinique Smith". rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  44. ↑ "Lawrence Weiner Mural". rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  45. ↑ "As If It Were Already Here, Boston, MA, 2015". echelman.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  46. ↑ "Ai Weiwei - Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads". www.zodiacheads.com. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  47. ↑ "Ai Weiwei". RoseKennedyGreenway.org. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  48. ↑ Toussaint, Kristin. "10-foot-tall animal heads are coming to the Rose Kennedy Greenway". Boston.com. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  49. ↑ Incolligno, Joe (25 April 2016). "Boston’s Greenway has new residents, but what are they?". Boston Globe. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  50. ↑ Conti, Matt (1 May 2016). "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads Debut at Greenway Rings Fountain". North End Waterfront.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  51. ↑ "Crowds get taste of victory in food truck showdown". Archived from the original on 2012-10-18.
  52. ↑ "About Us". Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  53. ↑ Levenson, Michael (18 August 2013). "Greenway becomes people’s park in Boston". Boston Globe. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  54. ↑ "Visitation numbers for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway rose sharply in 2013, conservancy says - Business news". Boston.com. 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  55. ↑ "Greenway Sets Attendance Record in 2015!". Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  56. ↑ "FIGMENT art party on the Greenway - Your Town". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  57. ↑ "Organizers prepare for Figment festival on Greenway". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  58. ↑ "FIGMENT Boston". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  59. ↑ "Boston Local Food Festival". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  60. ↑ "Greenway Open Market". NewEnglandOpenMarkets.com. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  61. ↑ "World Labyrinth Day". The Labyrinth Society. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  62. ↑ "Summer Concerts at the Greenway Sessions". Berklee College of Music. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  63. ↑ "Greenway Mobile Eats". Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  64. ↑ Mennies, Leah (2012-03-20). "The Rose Kennedy Greenway Expands "Greenway Mobile Eats" Program | Boston Magazine". Blogs.bostonmagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  65. ↑ Weaver, Alex E. (18 March 2016). "The Greenway Is Rolling Out a Record Number of Food Trucks for 2016". BostInno. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  66. ↑ "Organic Park Care". Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

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Coordinates: 42°21′25.85″N 71°3′4.52″W / 42.3571806°N 71.0512556°W / 42.3571806; -71.0512556

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