Activating Boston Project
2022–Present
Boston, MA
Overview
In Boston, John Hancock sought to invest in accessible, age-inclusive outdoor spaces as a way to improve health, longevity, and wellbeing. In 2022, the City of Boston released a report on Heat Resilience Solutions for Boston, which highlighted five neighborhoods as priority areas. This heightened attention on the environment’s impact on Boston residents presented an opportunity for John Hancock and Healthy Places by Design to create a new initiative to improve outdoor spaces in places experiencing high heat stress.
Our Approach
Healthy Places by Design is coordinating Activating Boston in collaboration with John Hancock, the City of Boston’s Age Strong Commission and other agencies, AARP Massachusetts, and UMass Boston. Activating Boston aims to grow the capacity of neighborhood organizations, community members, and partners to increase social connectedness where they live and work, with a focus on public greenspaces.
Results & Impact
In 2022-2023, two grantees—Asian Community Development Corporation (Chinatown) and Four Corners Main Streets (Dorchester)—piloted the initiative. Each had a strong record of working alongside community members and within diverse neighborhoods experiencing severe heat and other environmental stresses. Project coordinators used community-informed processes to elevate and celebrate the uniqueness of the neighborhoods. ACDC worked with residents and partners in Chinatown to create a public art project that enhanced an outdoor space and brings people together across generations, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds. Four Corners Main Street’s project supported youth and “community ambassadors” to prioritize, improve, and activate a public space to support neighbor-to-neighbor social connections. Healthy Places by Design provided ongoing technical assistance and facilitated peer learning and exchange sessions to strengthen cross-community relationships.
Building on the pilot’s success, a second round of awards fund four additional neighborhood projects for 2024-2025, with a third round in 2025-2027. Neighborhood teams will collectively determine the most appropriate project—a physical space improvement and activating a public space—which will help connect community members across generations. Activating these spaces could involve new infrastructure or design elements, intergenerational programs, community celebrations, and other public events that bring people together to honor the neighborhood culture and its unique assets.
The 2024-2025 grantees are:
Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC): ACDC will bring together, and work alongside, Chinatown residents and neighborhood partners to create a park next to a permanent public library branch coming to Chinatown in the next one to two years. Local high school-aged youth will be among the community event organizers who will work with ACDC staff.
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC): CSNDC will lead a project in Dorchester to improve and activate vacant lots, currently owned by the City of Boston, located on Wentworth Street and activate the space by hosting clean-up days, pop-up events, performances, and a mural painting project. The partnership will ultimately develop the space as a permanent greenspace for the community to enjoy.
EASTIE Coalition: The EASTIE Coalition will focus on enhancing Central Square Park in East Boston and the promotion of cultural and social programming in the park. Local artists will be invited to build a safe environment in Central Square Park by offering art, music, and theater workshops and performances. The EASTIE Coalition will also lead beautification and illumination projects in the park.
Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC): MPCD will focus on two parcels of land within the Grove Hall neighborhood. Although the site has been vacant for decades, it has a long history that can be traced back through the period of urban renewal and corresponding community activism, rooted in a fight for racial justice and community agency. As MPDC sets out to develop this site, it hopes to tap into its historical roots and honor the culture of the neighborhood in the design of an eventual building and community amenities.
Photo credits: Lee-Daniel Tran Photography, Lightchaser Photography