Flower Walk
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Client: Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
Year: 2023
Project Team
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
City of Chelsea
AdHoc Industries
Studioful
La Colaborativa
The Human Architecture and Planning Institute (The HAPI)
Boston BRT
The “Flower Walk” bus shelter improvement project used placemaking to transform the street and improve the experience of transit riders. The initiative came from the idea of creating an urban forest to promote sustainability and enhance the streetscape. Other goals of the project included improving pedestrian safety, incorporating public art, and assessing the impacts of design interventions. The intervention embodies the values of prioritizing safety, building connection and community, and bringing joy and beauty to the space. CSC oversaw the project management and worked with the City of Chelsea on approval and installation coordination.
CSC provided project implementation support, including engagement with La Colaborativa youth, planting planters, painting flowers on the street, spray painting flower stencils, and installing storefront art with Ad Hoc, Studioful, and Chelsea DPW.
A component of this project included biometrics research to measure the impact of the design interventions led by the HAPI. This research included an online survey using eye-tracking software iMotions and emotional expression software Affectiva to show that the human eye is subconsciously drawn to the colorful bus stop redesign. CSC also supported the HAPI team by helping prepare survey outreach materials, promoting the research survey, and reviewing the corresponding blog and op-ed articles.
Articles:
The Boston Globe: Chelsea bus stop is transformed into a ‘Flower Walk’
StreetsBlog Mass: Guest Column: With Data, We Can Design Bus Stops to Make People Feel Happy
ITDP Blog: This Vibrant New Bus Stop is Uniting Public Transit with Nature and Art
The Genetics of Design: Biometrics + Bus Stops: What Eye Tracking + Facial Expression Analysis Reveal
