Harbor Gardens
A concept for Boston's Wharf District
Back to Harbor Gardens intro
Five principles for design and programming
Programming the public realm
Design parameters
Harbor gardens - A concept
A visual thesaurus
Design parameters
Urban form
Scale:
The Wharf District is approximately half a mile from north to south and quarter of a mile from east to west. This is about the same distance as Arlington Street to Exeter Street between Beacon and Boylston Street in the Back Bay.
Post Office Square is roughly the size of Parcels 15 and 16 combined.
Edges and Easements:
Of critical importance will be the edges of existing buildings facing onto the new open space. Faced with the elevated highway many buildings have closed their edges to the street. Opportunities exist for opening up these facades to the new sidewalks and open space.
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Fields:
The existing pattern of the physical city indicates a number of view corridors and natural openings in the tight city streets. The new parks should expand the space around those openings between the city and the sea.
Centers of Gravity:
There are four distinct 'centers of gravity' already existing within the Wharf District relating to users (residents, workers and commuters, and tourists) and to adjacent places (the North End, Quincy Market, the Waterfront and South Boston).
Paths and Landmarks:
A number of opportunities exist to re-establish links between the city and the water's edge as well as along the length of the corridor. Landmarks, existing and potential, will serve as destination points across the corridor.
Physical framework
Parcel Area (to back of sidewalk):
| Parcel 14 |
50,900 sf |
| Parcel 15 |
31,430 sf |
| Parcel 16 |
32,622 sf |
| Parcel 17 N |
23,700 sf |
| Parcel 17 S |
26,270 sf |
| Parcel 18 |
29,965 sf (excluding ramps) |
| Total |
194,887sf / 4.5 acres (parcels only) |
Total Area:
Parcels 14 through 18 between buildings: approximately 14.4 acres
Structure:
Rule of thumb: 3- to 5-story structures may be built without major additional reinforcement.
Ventilation:
Structures over ramps may not obstruct the flow of air in and out of the tunnel entrances.
Regulatory framework
The following documents apply to the development of open space and ancillary uses on the Central Artery corridor:
- Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report, November 1990
- Certificate of the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, January 1991
- Article 49 of the Boston Zoning Code, June 1991
Information for this section was provided by the Artery Business Committee.
