Franklin Park Action Plan

Franklin Park is a beloved center of community gathering and a public health resource for Boston’s most diverse communities. The Franklin Park Action Plan, the first comprehensive plan for Boston’s largest park in 30 years, is founded on equal respect for historic park fabric, ecological systems, and the communities who have stewarded it through decades of disinvestment.

Focused on issues of equity, cultural significance, climate change, and ecological resilience, Action Plan aspirations are forward-looking and visionary, but are based in practical, action-oriented recommendations. It advocates for thoughtfully guided, community-driven design implemented through equitable investment to enable this treasured park to do what it does now, only better.

History

Frederick Law Olmsted’s 1895 General Plan conceived of an expansive New England landscape where all were welcome to enjoy the benefits of recreation and experience nature within the city. Incremental changes and deferred maintenance have obscured the original design, leaving the park’s physical fabric and ecological systems in severe decline; new leaseholders have further segmented the park’s 527 acres, leaving it feeling less public and disconnected.

Process & Engagement

With the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, the team facilitated a layered engagement approach to reach the park’s many, diverse surrounding neighborhoods. It emphasized meeting people where they are, uncovering rich information about the park’s past and present, and working with community groups. Distributed in seven languages, outreach included workshops, neighborhood meetings, surveys, pop-up events, and neighborhood canvassing, even amid the challenges of the pandemic. Online and in-park campaigns bolstered awareness of the process and encouraged participation, resulting in over 26,000 touchpoints. Ongoing participation data was analyzed to prioritize diverse, local representation.

Recommendations & Implementation

The extensive engagement inputs and the team’s deep analysis of the park’s history, communities, and land shaped five primary recommendations for the park’s renewed stewardship and continued evolution:

  — Make Connections & Activate Edges

  — Clarify Movement

  — Amplify Magnet Destinations

  — Unify the Park

  — Build Capacity & Enable Change

Supported by an initial $28 million in municipal funding, Action Plan implementation focuses on near-term maintenance and ecological management, and long-range capital improvements. Recommendations are supported by anti-displacement, equitable procurement, governance, and funding strategies aligned with the community context. The Plan emphasizes continued community engagement, strengthened partnerships, civic stewardship, and relies on effective coordination amongst a new City Task Force to ensure broader goals and initiatives support plan priorities.