Client: A Better City

Year: 2022-2023

Project Team

• A Better City

• Weston&Sampson

• Stone Living Lab

Civic Space Collaborative worked with A Better City on “Greening the Blue Line: Evaluating the Potential of Nature-Based Solutions to Protect Critical Transportation Infrastructure and Uplift Communities along the Blue Line in East Boston” to provide project management and community engagement services.

The project aimed to identify nature-based solutions for upgrading infrastructure to protect the area from flooding while improving community well-being. CSC engaged government stakeholders and community leaders through stakeholder interviews, focus groups, community meetings, and an online survey. These results informed the conceptual designs developed by Weston & Sampson.

 The project team identified five vulnerable sites near the MBTA Blue Line. The design concepts incorporated rain gardens, swales, wetlands, and trees and were developed based on input from extensive stakeholder engagement. In addition, CSC developed a co-benefits framework with public realm, transportation, and environmental criteria to help evaluate the project sites side-by-side.

 The project demonstrates that nature-based solutions can effectively protect urban neighborhoods while generating social and economic benefits.

Funding was provided by the Stone Living Lab.