Ideas for Improving the Oldest Public Park in the U.S.

A windfall of $28 million will be spent to repair and renovate Boston Common—public input into the priorities of that spending would be appreciated.

1 minute read

August 12, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Boston, Massachusetts

Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock

"Boston Common is overdue for a serious makeover, and the city wants to hear from people about what improvements and changes they would like to see at America’s oldest public park, founded in 1634," reports Allison Hagan.

"The nonprofit group Friends of the Public Garden — which also advocates for the Common — has been working with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the design firm Weston & Sampson to develop a master plan for the space, which is expected to take about 18 months," adds Hagan.

The recent sale of the city’s Winthrop Square Garage has created $28 million to spend on the park's makeover. The goal is to upgrade playfields and improve infrastructure throughout the park. Of the total funding available, $5 million will be spent on park maintenance.

Thursday, August 8, 2019 in The Boston Globe

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