Neponset River Greenway named one of America’s “Great Places”

The Neponset River Greenway was named one of America’s “Great Places” by the American Planning Association.

The Great Places in America Program recognizes neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces across the country that represent “the gold standard for a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for the future”.

Located along Boston’s southern boundary, the Neponset River Greenway is a vibrant recreation destination enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people each year. The Collaborative led an energetic master planning and design process that created the Greenway and today includes a series of waterfront parks, an 8+ mile multiuse trail, restored wildlife areas and wetlands, interpretive exhibits, a major soccer complex, play areas, and courts.

Over the years, the Greenway has triggered important community growth along the river corridor. This includes the Collaborative’s design of open spaces and outdoor rooms as part of a new 130-unit affordable housing, transit-oriented, mixed-use project adjacent to the Greenway.

As the Greenway’s original master planners and designers, the Collaborative led a multidisciplinary team, including surveyors, civil and environmental engineers. The public involvement process included the Collaborative leading more than 35 public meetings, community-design charrettes, public site visits, and special interest roundtables over the course of the project. The project’s broad public involvement resulted in the passage of a $40 million bond bill to implement the master plan.

Online information about the Neponset River Greenway:

• This Picturesque Park is an Undiscovered Oasis Just Outside Boston, Massachusetts
• Neponset River Greenway