Category: urban planning (5)

Explore the engineered world of Fort Point Channel. On this tour of discovery, you will experience the history and engineering marvels of this industrial waterway that has become the centerpiece of this neighborhood's revival. Learn how the Channel came to be through the activities of the Boston Wharf Company, South Station development, the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, and recent activation efforts. Explore the workings of its three remaining historic bridges, plus the memories of the Mt. Washington, the rolling bridges at South Station, and the ambitious cofferdam. Uncover why Fort Point Channel was the most difficult undertaking of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, the I-90 extension, and the great changes the Channel has experienced since. Prepare to walk from one end of the Channel to the other and see this area like you have never seen it before! find out more

When the modern Rowes Wharf was conceived in 1982, it was a design competition with a bold vision of a new Boston. Learn why this building was such a breakthrough, and how it remains at the center of 21st-century Boston. Our hour-long, accessible, quarter-mile tour will lead you through memories of colonial wharves and elevated trolleys, schooners and steamships, and into the transformed city. Presented in partnership with the Boston Harbor Hotel find out more

Take a journey of discovery exploring the new open spaces along the lower Charles River. A hub of transportation and recreation, this area has experienced several cycles of dramatic change resulting from the construction of bridges and dams, the expansion of Boston, and the Big Dig project. From the tidal estuary of the Charles through the mudflats of Millers River, this unique tour traces the evolution of the lost half-mile and the reshaping of Boston. Dams, railroads, bridges, and highways have closed off this area until the recent creation of incredible public parks and recreation space. This tour will also feature a walk over the new North Bank Pedestrian Bridge connecting Cambridge and Charlestown. On this tour you will discover the artifacts left behind, examine up close the bridges and dams spanning the Charles River, and see the reclamation of land once dominated by the railroads of the 19th century while the upper basin developed in the tradition of Frederick Law Olmsted with Charlesbank, the Cambridge Esplanade, and the Boston Embankment. The views on this tour are unique and spectacular. We will see all the nooks and crannies people drive past, but never get out and explore. We will walk over bridges, under expressways, over railroads, and on top of movable locks. Whether you are an explorer at heart, a fan of landscape architecture, a history buff, or have an interest in engineering, there's something on this tour for everyone. find out more

Join us for a summer evening stroll through the Esplanade, the jewel of the Charles River. The Esplanade is one of Boston's best loved parks with stunning views of the Charles River. From the filling of the Back Bay to the construction of James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive, the Esplanade was built in stages fulfilling the vision of landscape architect Charles Eliot. Today, the once malodorous mudflats are now bustling with walkers, joggers, skaters, and bikers. This tour begins with Frederick Law Olmsted's Charlesbank, the first outdoor gymnasium in the United States, precursor to today's 17-mile Charles River Reservation, and now home to Teddy Ebersol's Red Sox Fields. Walking among beautifully landscaped paths lined with over 1,900 trees, we'll examine the evolution of this urban park and Arthur Schurcliff's landscape designs. Crowned by the Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell, the famous outdoor concert venue, the Esplanade is host to concerts, movies, events, and the annual Boston Pops Fourth of July Celebration. Join us on this walk through the jewel of the Charles River, visited by millions every year. find out more