Climate Ready Downtown and North End
We're creating neighborhood solutions to coastal flooding from sea level rise and storms.
The Downtown focus area is made up of several neighborhoods that lie in the northern part of Boston. These include the West End and North End, the Financial District, Wharf District, Chinatown, and the Leather District. Downtown is highly exposed to sea level rise impacts due to the area's:
- extensive low-lying coastline, and
- exposure to flooding from the Charles River, Boston Harbor, and Fort Point Channel.
Our latest report is "Coastal Resilience Solutions for Downtown and North End." The report outlines near- and long-term strategies to protect from climate change.
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Read our latest report
Coastal resilience solutions
This report advances the ideas laid out in the Mayor’s Resilient Boston Harbor Vision. The report provides specific strategies,
options, and timelines for implementation.
Near- and long- term solutions
Langone Park and Puopolo Playground is located along Boston Harbor in the North End. It's the first project within the Boston park system to integrate the standards set forth by the City’s climate resilient design standards. The $15.3 million project, which will be completed in late fall, will:
- expand recreational opportunities
- raise the level of the athletic fields out of the flood zone
- elevate the harborwalk by four feet, and
- make the sea wall more structurally sound.
In the coming months, the City and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) will convene a Long Wharf Property Owner Stakeholder Group. Long Wharf is BPDA-owned property. We will work closely with tenants to find solutions to create a connected and resilient sub-district. Our goal is to enhance Long Wharf as the gateway for water transportation.
The redesign of Christopher Columbus Park will include:
- elevation to protect against flooding
- improvements to waterfront open space, and
- improvements to connections to the Rose Kennedy Greenway
Resilient Harbor Vision
Learn about our climate-ready vision to enhance Boston’s waterfront. We want to protect Boston's neighborhoods from sea level rise and flooding due to climate change.
About
The Climate Ready Boston report identified challenges facing Downtown Boston. We focused on Downtown because businesses and activities in the area depend on access to the waterfront. This project will develop near-term and long-term coastal resilience strategies. We want to protect Downtown and the North End from coastal flooding.
Planning Process and Community Input
Community Input
Community Survey
We asked people who live, work, and commute in the Downtown area for their thoughts about this project through a community survey.
Open house: March 12, 2019
At our first community open house, attendees told us where they had experienced flooding in the past. They also chose their top three evaluation criteria, and gave ideas for future open spaces resilience strategies.
Open house: July 16, 2019
At our second community open house, attendees gave feedback on the design options for the Downtown waterfront.
Resources
Explore the spatial data used in Climate Ready Boston.
Learn what the City is doing to prepare Boston for climate change.
We're creating neighborhood solutions to coastal flooding.
Read the citywide climate resilience strategy report.
