Boston Prioritizes Community While Implementing Green Infrastructure

It has been a busy 2 years for Kate England since being appointed Boston’s first Director of Green Infrastructure by Mayor Michelle Wu in the summer of 2022. Wu established the Office of Green Infrastructure (OGI) to support her vision of the city’s Green New Deal. In her cabinet role, England works across city departments to increase the number of green projects in Boston, enhancing both stormwater management and community benefits.

First Comes Policy…

To implement green infrastructure across the city, England first had to create resources to help city staff better understand the task at hand.

“One of the things that I heard a lot when I first started this job was, ‘We are happy to do green infrastructure, but what does that mean?’” England said.

One of OGI’s first projects was to establish the Green Infrastructure Working Group, comprised of representatives from more than 20 city departments, to develop a clear definition — along with standardized guidelines and specifications — for green infrastructure. This provided a resource for project managers and consultants, ensuring a cohesive approach to incorporating green infrastructure across Boston’s city projects.

“We started from this place of collaboration that has resulted in a shared voice, a shared vision, a shared understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish, and then we gave everybody the tools they needed to do it,” said England. “We’d all like to think that people will do something because it’s the right thing to do, but often what you have to do is regulate first, and then once everybody is comfortable or has done a project or two, the regulation becomes less important, and it just becomes part of what you do.”

In October 2022, OGI introduced its first policy which aimed to maintain and increase the number of green infrastructure projects. This policy established both a volunteer program and paid contracts to provide upkeep on current green infrastructure. It also mandated that specific city projects, such as curb extensions, integrate green infrastructure to manage stormwater effectively.

…Then Come Results

The ongoing reconstruction of Cummins Highway in Mattapan, for example, demonstrates the city’s evolving approach: The project includes porous asphalt bike lanes, bioretention areas, and tree infiltration trenches throughout the corridor. Set to finish in late 2026, this project will serve as one of Boston’s first comprehensive examples of roadway-integrated green infrastructure, providing enhanced green space, stormwater management, and sustainable city design.

In addition, OGI prioritized work in Boston’s vulnerable neighborhoods — areas with high proportions of low-income, minority, and/or elderly residents — finding locations where green infrastructure could provide both stormwater management and community benefits.

“I have been prioritizing green infrastructure installations in these locations primarily because I think we all acknowledge at this point that climate change doesn’t affect everybody equally. It affects our vulnerable populations more intensely and directly,” England said. “We’ve really tried to build resilience into the neighborhoods most at-risk to the effects of climate change.”

Key projects include the Sumner Upper School, which features the largest public bioretention area in the city, bioswales, an infiltrating turf field, and five stormwater tree pits. At the Rafael Hernandez K-8 School, green infrastructure elements include a rain garden, infiltrating turf field, and infiltration chambers. The David A. Ellis Elementary School incorporates a rain garden, tree infiltration trench, and porous pavers. The Jackson Mann Community Center is equipped with a bioswale, vegetated swale, and trench drain. Finally, the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers includes a stormwater planter, tree infiltration trench, shed green roof, and porous asphalt. The projects were designed to serve stormwater goals and provide community features. Engineers incorporated green surfaces and trees into previously unshaded paved areas. In schools where traffic flow restricted outdoor play, safe play zones were created with vegetation acting as a buffer between students and vehicles. These elements also help to manage runoff and mitigate flooding in those areas. Plant selection included a variety of edible options such as berries and herbs. In addition, England helped develop stormwater and green infrastructure curricula for students to accompany these projects.

“There’s a little bit of food security work going on there and also a lot of really wonderful community engagement and public education that goes along with it, too,” England said.

Top image courtesy of Boston’s Office of Green Infrastructure