Category: Design

New City Initiative Alert – “Spaces for You”

Matt Lawlor
Visual images of use of public spaces in Boston.
Source: Boston Planning Department.

In line with the way the Wu Administration has been seeking to emphasize systemic planning instead of project-based development review, they’re now out with a new initiative on public spaces they’re calling “Spaces for You” and which they describe at a very high level as follows:

Spaces For You is a collaborative and proactive initiative by the City of Boston to co-create, enhance, and celebrate public outdoor spaces that foster joy, belonging, and well-being for all residents. It seeks to bridge the gap between community needs and city resources, knitting together public and privately generated open spaces to create vibrant social places for all.

The project page can be found here and note that there’s a brief survey in which they’re seeking some initial feedback. Go ahead and let them know what you think!

Hebrew Senior Life – Centre/Walter Proposed Project – Article 80 Public Meeting – 6 pm on 23 July 2025

Matt Lawlor

With the Project Notification Form (PNF) for Article 80/Large Project Review of Hebrew Senior Life’s proposed all-affordable senior residential development at Centre/Walter with the Boston Planning Department having been filed on 25 June, we are now within a public comment period for the project that will end on 28 July. As noted in the headline, a community meeting for the project has been scheduled for 6 pm on 23 July via Zoom. Information on signing up for the meeting, as well as as on the project (including the PNF itself), can be found below, which has been cribbed from the Planning Department’s recent notification email.

Very briefly described, Hebrew Senior Life are proposing to fill in what is now a surface parking lot at the corner of Centre and Walter streets on their Roslindale campus with a 78-unit all deeply affordable senior residential building, addressing a critical need for this kind of housing within our overall regional housing emergency. In addition, neighborhood gateway corners are always critical and, as can be seen below, the proposed 6-story building will do an impressive job of holding down this particular gateway corner and complimenting the imminent safety improvements to this intersection that the neighborhood have long sought. Among the proposal’s many benefits, the fact that it is going to fill in what is now a surface parking lot is truly music to our ears. The WalkUP Roslindale Board are strongly supportive of the proposal and we intend to submit a support letter before the close of the comment period that will go into more detail about our specific thinking. We encourage those who support this kind of neighborhood improvement addressing the ongoing housing emergency to attend the meeting, learn more about the project, and, if you come away convinced of its value, to submit a comment in support of the project. We hope to see you there!

THE BELOW IS CUT AND PASTED FROM A PLANNING DEPARTMENT NOTIFICATION EMAIL.

1200 Centre Street

1200 Centre Street

Public Meeting | Virtual Meeting

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 06:00 PM – 08:00 PM

This is a public meeting for the proposed 1200 Centre Street Project, located in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the overall project and the potential impacts. The meeting will include a presentation followed by questions and comments from the public.

How to Participate

Please register for the meeting using the following Zoom link: bosplans.org/1200CentreStreet

Meeting ID: 161 991 5474
Toll-Free Call-in Number: 833.568.8864

Roslindale Squares & Streets – Boston Zoning Commission Hearing on Deck – Wednesday, 21 May 2025, at 9:00 am – ADOPTED! UPDATE BELOW

Matt Lawlor

Roslindale Square - Squares + Streets | Bostonplans.org

The Boston Zoning Commission is set to hold their public hearing starting at about 9 am on this coming Wednesday, 21 May 2025, on the zoning text and map amendments developed through the small area planning process here in Roslindale Square over the course of the last year-plus.

LINK HERE: BZC agenda and information on how to register.

We encourage supporters of the proposed zoning changes to attend and offer testimony at the hearing, which will be over zoom, if at all possible. Whether you can make it or not, we also encourage you to submit supportive written comments to the Boston Zoning Commission’s Secretary, Jeffrey Hampton, at their official email address of zoningcommission@boston.gov. We’re going to submit our WalkUP Roslindale comment letter around the time of the BPDA Board vote last month. Hope to see many supporters on hand on Wednesday morning and here’s a LINK to a helpful tool that was put together for the BPDA Board meeting, but is also very helpful for preparing for the hearing and submitting your written support in advance!

UPDATE:

As first reported by Universal Hub (“Denser zoning approved for Roslindale Square”), the Roslindale Squares & Streets zoning amendments – both text and map – were adopted by the Boston Zoning Commission at their hearing this past Wednesday morning by a unanimous vote of 11 in favor, 0 against. As we have said many times, deep thanks go to the mayor and her administration, especially the folks at the Boston Planning Department, who worked tirelessly over the last 15 months to solicit feedback, develop the small area plan, and then craft zoning amendments to meet this moment in our neighborhood and city. Now we will all get to see what kinds of improvements and projects the new zoning will engender. Onward!

Squares + Streets Zoning Map – Roslindale Square – Closeout Meeting – 8 April 2025 @ 6 pm on ZOOM

Matt Lawlor

Close on the heels of the end of the comment period yesterday, the Planning Department is hosting their scheduled closeout meeting on the zoning map and the revisions made thereto since its release in February. We encourage supporters to attend and thank the staff who have worked so hard over the last year to move the process from visioning to the small area plan and now the adoption of a new zoning map for the plan area. Information on the meeting and how to sign can be found HERE. Thanks!

Roslindale Square - Squares + Streets | Bostonplans.org

 

Squares+Streets Small Area Plan

Ben Bruno Leave a comment

The newly-announced Small Area Plan for the Roslindale Squares+Streets initiative sets an exciting, long-overdue vision for new public investment and housing development in our neighborhood center. It recommends location, scale, and design standards for future development on our main streets, and it identifies priority improvements to public spaces, intersections, and transportation infrastructure.

Perhaps most importantly, the plan’s land use framework will inform the Planning Department’s zoning recommendations in early 2025. The plan and the zoning recommendations are the culmination of Roslindale’s Squares+Streets process that began in January 2024.

 

Now is the time to make your voice heard!
Get involved with the action steps below and share our flyer.

 

ATTEND AND MAKE A COMMENT
at the public meeting (tomorrow!) which will focus on the draft small area plan
Wednesday, January 8 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Virtual Meeting

 

TELL THE PLANNERS AT BOSTON PLANNING WHAT YOU THINK
at In-Person Office Hours
Roslindale Community Center | 6 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA 02131
Tuesday, January 7 | 12:30 PM  – 1:30 PM
Wednesday, January 15 | 12:30 PM  – 1:30 PM
Thursday, January 30 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

 

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ONLINE
At the bottom of this page.

 

JOIN THE ONLINE DISCUSSION
Perci is hosting a discussion board for questions and comments about specific proposals in the plan.

 

Squares+Streets is one of several ongoing land use initiatives pursued by the Boston Planning Department that will impact Rozzidents. Others include:

  • The Anti-Displacement Action Plan will include tools and policies to mitigate the effects of residential and commercial displacement, whether stemming from rezoning here in Roslindale and elsewhere in the city or from other factors. Expected release: Winter 2025.
  • The citywide Neighborhood Housing zoning initiative to start zoning residential properties with up to 4 homes in a way that is consistent both with the existing residential development pattern and our city’s desperate need for more housing. Among the anticipated changes in the rezoning will be enabling property owners to make home improvements or add Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) without the need for an expensive and time-consuming variance process. We understand that Phase 1 of the Neighborhood Housing effort will address the existing zoning for large lots (~ 60’ wide). Expected completion: 2025.

Squares & Streets Roslindale – Post-Ideas Reception Survey – DEADLINE EXTENDED! NOW WEDNESDAY 31 July 2024!!!

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

After the ideas reception at the RCC and a further pop-up in front of the library the day after, the new city planning department has a survey up to gather input and feedback on the initial set of proposals and recommendations. You can find the survey online HERE. Note that the deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED to this coming Wednesday, July 31st! Based on immediate direct experience, the survey will likely take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Good luck!

Birch Plaza finally gets where it needed to go and we are THANKFUL!

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

Conversion of the one-block section of Birch Street from Corinth to Belgrade has been long in the making, it’s true, and it’s also true that we have been steadfast supporters of this idea from its inception. And now that the planters and bench seating have arrived and been filled in with birch trees and other plantings by the city, we are simply delighted with the results. It’s a strong improvement over the prior condition, eliminates what had been a dangerous left turn onto by motor vehicle operators onto Belgrade and provides another great gathering space in our neighborhood for things like Salsa Night in the Square (picture above). Our sincerest, heartfelt thanks to so many folks who helped make this happen, including, in reverse chronological order –

  • Mayor Michelle Wu and her Administration, especially Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge; Jacob Wessel, public realm director for the City of Boston; and ONS Roslindale Representatives Josh McCorkle and Dianna Bronchuk;
  • District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepen;
  • Former District 5 Councilor Arroyo;
  • The Janey Administration;
  • The Walsh Administration;
  • Roslindale Village Main Street; and
  • friend and current WalkUP Roslindale Board member, Adam Shutes, formerly of Boston Cheese Cellar. Great job everyone!

Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned! TAKE. THE. SURVEY!

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

We’re coming up on 8 years after the initial adoption of the city’s Go Boston 2030 transportation plan and our friends at the Boston Transportation Department are now soliciting input on an update they’re calling “Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned.” As their webpage states:

Go Boston 2030 has guided the City of Boston’s transportation investments since its launch in 2017. More than half of the projects in the plan are already completed or in design. Now, Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned is an opportunity to evaluate our progress, and stake our path toward Boston’s transportation future.

To put a finer point on things, BTD sees 3 main components for the update:

COMPONENT NUMBER 1 – ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS? // UPDATED DATA AND METRICS
The plan’s targets include improving safety, expanding access, and reducing emissions. Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned will create a webpage where we’ll report annually on our progress.
COMPONENT NUMBER 2 – ARE WE INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE? // PROJECT EVALUATION AND IDENTIFICATION
Some Go Boston 2030 projects are complete, some are still in design, and some have yet to start. Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned will track existing projects and identify new ones that advance our goals.
COMPONENT NUMBER 3 – ARE WE MEETING BOSTONIANS’ NEEDS? // FOCUSED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Two years of city-wide community engagement informed Go Boston 2030. Go Boston 2030 ReVisioned will conduct focused community engagement to reach underrepresented communities.
Check it all out and TAKE THE SURVEY on their webpage. It only takes about 7 minutes!

Virtual Visioning Session for Squares + Streets – Tomorrow – 7 May 2024 @ 6-8 pm

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment

The BPDA will be hosting a virtual visioning session tomorrow night, 7 May 2024, from 6 to 8 pm (Register here). The session parallels last week’s in-person session. BPDA staff describe the session as an opportunity “to collaborate with the community on generating ideas for potential planning and zoning recommendations for the Roslindale Square Squares + Streets Plan. This session will include a summary of existing conditions analysis, feedback received to-date and community visions for different topic areas, as well as hands-on activities to contribute your ideas for potential recommendations.”

More information about the session can be found here.

One day left – Take the Squares + Streets Survey by no later than tomorrow, 29 March 2024!

Matt Lawlor Leave a comment
Squares + Streets | Boston Planning & Development Agency
Image credit: BPDA.

SURVEY LINK HERE.

Your correspondent just completed it, it’s super easy, offered in Spanish and Haitian Creole as well as English, and well worth about 5 to 10 minutes of your time. Thanks!