A Breath of Fresh Air: Reviving Franklin Park as Boston’s Urban Lungs

When designing the Emerald necklace in Boston Massachusetts, Fredrick Olmsted focused on health within the city’s bounds. Once the jewel of the Emerald Necklace, Franklin Park is now underutilized, disconnected and currently under redesign. Yet even with these challenges, Franklin Park remains the largest continuous tree canopy cover within the urban core, making it a key factor in air quality for Boston. Poor air quality in urban areas contributes to many diseases. The leading health issues for Boston communities center around a lack of time spent outdoors being active, with minority groups suffering at 3-4 times the rate of the majority. Bordered by mostly minority neighborhoods to the east, Franklin Park could have a hugely positive impact on resident health but at present has turned its back on these communities.

This proposal enacts a new equilibrium for the Park’s community, consisting of three types of design interventions aimed at harnessing the natural air systems and reaffirming a sense of place for the eastern neighborhoods. All three intervention typologies utilize vegetation and topography in tandem to create comfortable spaces that encourage year-round usage while minimizing air pollutants and particulates. Seasonal wind patterns guide the design, allowing visitors to revel in each space’s ephemeral qualities while maximizing the quantity and access to fresh air. Once cut off from its eastern neighbors, Franklin Park is now the lungs of the community, reestablishing a historic ecological connection and allowing both to breathe.

Instructors: Gina Ford & Maggie Hansen