Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston, Massachusetts
An urban design and zoning plan for Dorchester Avenue, a four-mile commercial corridor serving Boston’s largest neighborhood.
Recognition:
American Planning Association, New England Chapter--Award for Implementation
Project Highlights:
Once a vibrant streetcar corridor lined with shops and serving dense neighborhoods, Dorchester Avenue had lost numerous businesses, historic buildings, and visual cohesion as a result of a population shift to the suburbs and the proliferation of car-oriented uses.
Strategy:
Goody Clancy prepared a new planning and urban design strategy to guide revitalization. Key project components included zoning guidelines for buildings, storefronts, signage, and parking areas—all of which were incorporated into new zoning regulations.
- The firm worked closely with elected officials, a neighborhood-based revitalization group, a city-appointed advisory committe, and multiple public agencies.
- The project introduced the first comprehensive set of new neighborhood zoning ordinances in Boston since the 1950s and has served as a model for subsequent Main Street projects in other Boston neighborhoods.