Phillips Square Design
The City of Boston will partner with residents and community organizations to plan, design and implement improvements for Phillips Square, between Essex Street and Beach Street. Here you will find opportunities to get involved.
For the Chinese version of this website, 请点击此页查看中文版本
We posted the Request for Proposals (RFP) on July 22, 2024, and received proposals from 3 teams (listed below). After thorough deliberations, we have awarded the contract to the team led by Sasaki Associates, Inc.
Four (4) proposals were submitted on Monday, August 12, 2024. The bidding teams were as follows:
-
Klopfer Martin Design Group LLC.
-
Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture Inc.
-
NADAAA Inc.
-
Sasaki Associates Inc
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Transportation
-
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 721Boston, MA 02201-2026
-
Interested in Joining the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)?
The CAC meets bi-monthly to discuss Streets Cabinet-led projects. Please email wenzheng.wang@boston.gov with your name, contact information, and a brief statement articulating the reason(s) you would like to join the CAC.
Background information
Chinatown is a vibrant neighborhood with a thriving businesses and residential communities. The neighborhood has a rich history of community activism and many sites that celebrate the diversity and lived experiences of Chinatown residents.
Harrison Avenue has always been the center and one of the most important corridors of Chinatown. The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) implemented the Phillips Square Tactical Plaza in 2019, and with this project, we want to help improve Phillips Square, by making it safer, greener, more attractive, and more enjoyable for Chinatown residents and visitors.
The project is expected to commence in fall of 2024 with an inclusive community engagement process to determine a new design for the future of Phillips Square. Key principles informing the work include:
-
Design through community engagement and design equitably
-
Design with the utmost respect for history and focus on the future
-
Address community needs through design
-
Promote arts and culture and the sense of place and community
-
Prioritize green and open spaces and green infrastructure to improve climate resilience and promote health
-
Improve and create an attractive public realm
-
Address parking and traffic flow concerns
-
Design in a maintenance-conscious manner
The upcoming work will strive for a comprehensive solution to enhance the experience of the Harrison Avenue Corridor. Today, the wide, auto-centric Harrison Avenue thoroughfare is a result of the demolition of several rowhouses and the widening of Harrison Avenue in 1894. This project will focus on integrating the redesign of Phillips Square Tactical Plaza and the Harrison Avenue corridor to create a true "Northern Gateway" of Chinatown. We will create an attractive and vibrant space for Chinatown residents and businesses, while simultaneously improving climate resiliency in Chinatown.
On this page, you can stay updated on project progress as well as share your ideas and concerns. We want to hear your thoughts on the design of Phillips Square, transportation, green and open space, and traffic safety throughout this area. We look forward to your feedback!
What we are looking at
On top of looking at the park, we are looking at sidewalks, lighting, bus stops, bike lanes, street trees, public spaces, green infrastructure (for stormwater management, for example), and more. We want to make sure you feel safe traveling along the Harrison Avenue corridor no matter how you choose to get around.
Ultimately, we want to improve safety, comfort, and environmental resilience in this area. To achieve these, design features to protect people and the environment may include strategies to increase shade and cooling with green spaces and retrofitted bus shelters, for example.
Our Engagement Plan
The process will be conducted in three “waves” of engagement:
- Wave 1 : Vision (November-January)
- Inform the community about the project and collect high-level feedback on
- big-picture visioning for the park.
- How: Community Meetings, Focus groups, Community Survey I, and Pop-ups
- Wave 2: Concepts (February & March)
- Share draft concept design alternatives for the park, and collect feedback on
- community preferences.
- How: Community Survey II, Community Design Charette, and Lunar New Year
- Pop-up
- Wave 3: Final Design (April & May)
- Finalize the design and share it with the community!
Who we are coordinating with
There is a lot going on in Chinatown.
Our project team is coordinating with other City staff to collaboratively address community concerns. Our goal is to coordinate projects and not to overload you with meetings. Here are some relevant, related projects.
Creating a greener and more attractive connection between the two sides of the highway in Chinatown
Rezoning to preserve and empower Chinatown
Improving pedestrian safety
Slowing down vehicle speed by adding speed bumps on eligible streets
Plan for Downtown Boston and Chinatown
PROJECT AREA
How you can take part
Our Past Meetings
We have started our community engagement process for Phillips Square!
Our team has started the community engagement process for Phillips Square! In this section, you can find past meetings and materials
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Transportation
-
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 721Boston, MA 02201-2026
-
Interested in Joining the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)?
The CAC meets bi-monthly to discuss Streets Cabinet-led projects. Please email wenzheng.wang@boston.gov with your name, contact information, and a brief statement articulating the reason(s) you would like to join the CAC.
