A 'Pop-Up Plaza' in Boston Tests Big Ideas

Tactical urbanism is getting a high-profile test run in Boston.

1 minute read

September 1, 2016, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Nicole Dungca reports: "The city of Boston on Tuesday morning transformed two blocks near Franklin and Arch streets, creating a “pop-up” plaza."

"The 'pop-up plaza' is a prelude to what the city wants there eventually: a permanent plaza that would invite more people to sit down in a busy area outside Millennium Tower, one of the highest-profile new luxury condominium complexes in Boston," adds Dungca.

In a validation for the concept, the developers of the Millennium Tower worked with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Public Works Department, and the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District to develop the pop-up plaza. The article includes more detail about how the city and its stakeholders will conduct the experiment.

The office of Mayor Martin J. Walsh also released an announcement describing the new pop-up plaza.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 in The Boston Globe

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