Amid a raging pandemic, one that is hitting Black and Brown communities particularly hard, already-vulnerable communities find themselves even more threatened by the possibility of a significant storm hitting Massachusetts. That makes it more imperative than ever that we plan now for the storm season still to come.
The string of nor’easters we had in 2018 was a wake-up call: There was a viral video of a dumpster floating down Seaport Boulevard. But the unfortunate reality is a lot of the Seaport is already built out. The city of Boston has done a great job of planning for climate change, but we’ve moved pretty slowly on implementation, so the opportunity we had to leverage private development to get dollars for some of these district-wide resilience projects has come and gone
From Cape Ann to Cape Cod, our infrastructure is not built to withstand the increasing impacts of storm floods, high winds, and soaking rain. This fact not only affects the health and safety of our residents but will also have an enormous influence on the region’s economic competitiveness.
We recently headed out to Boston’s Seaport district to remind the people who live and work there about the unique challenges the neighborhood faces due to its waterfront location. our annual reminder took the form of a message projected onto prominent outdoor spots in the neighborhood. We called for action to make the Seaport – and all of Boston – resilient in the face of the climate impacts, like sea level rise, that we know are coming.
“This rule is a critical step forward in preparing Boston for the impacts of the climate crisis we know are coming,” said Deanna Moran, Director of Environmental Planning at CLF. “Protecting natural resources does not have to come at the expense of critical climate adaptation measures, and this ordinance strikes the right balance.”
Last year, you took action to oppose a proposed bill that would have threatened public access to Boston’s waterfront and set a dangerous precedent for waterfront areas statewide. That bill died in the legislature last session but has since been revived and is up for debate by a key legislative committee next week. So now… Continue reading Revived Bill Threatens Waterfront Public Access in Massachusetts
“It is unacceptable that this plan allows developers to buy their way out of regulations they don’t like,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “The public’s right to access the waterfront has been guaranteed for generations, and officials have singlehandedly undermined that right. The municipal harbor planning process is broken, and we’re looking forward to proving it in court.”
“It is unacceptable that this plan allows developers to buy their way out of regulations they don’t like,” CLF senior counsel Peter Shelley said in response to the judge’s ruling. “The public’s right to access the waterfront has been guaranteed for generations, and officials have singlehandedly undermined that right. The municipal harbor planning process is broken, and we’re looking forward to proving it in court.”
On a recent visit to the Battery Wharf in the North End, we found some of the most egregious violations of the public’s rights to access and enjoy the waterfront that we’ve ever seen. Battery Wharf has not only privatized spaces that belong to the public, it has capitalized on them, charging high-end rental fees for areas that are supposed to be available to the public 24 hours a day, free of charge.
“Boston’s redevelopment boom is an opportunity for the city to finally get this right,” said Deanna Moran, Director of Environmental Planning at CLF. “Our leaders must learn from mistakes in places like the Seaport and commit to climate-smart and equitable development from here on out. Transportation access and public open space cannot be afterthoughts any longer.”
