City of Boston releases draft Design Vision report
Oct 30, 2024
The City of Boston today released the Design Vision, a draft report compiled by the Planning Department in partnership with Boston residents about the types of design elements that are important to Bostonians, and how to advance design principles that will encourage a vibrant, green, and inclusive city. This work is the result of more than a year of public engagement in which staff heard from hundreds of community members about what kinds of design make their communities feel like home.
“We’re working alongside residents to make Boston the best home for everyone, and I’m grateful and excited to have opportunities like the Design Vision where residents can have a direct hand in creating Boston's future,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “These projects ensure that we can deliver on our promise of creating a city that serves the needs of every community, and designing spaces that foster growth and bring people together.”
“As we envision what our city will look and feel like decades from now, it is imperative that we have a roadmap to get us there,” said Chief of Planning Kairos Shen. “The Design Vision offers an imaginative concept of what Boston could be in the years to come, and I want to thank our staff who have worked on this for many months to ensure it reflects Bostonians’ perspectives on the neighborhoods they call home.”
The report includes the design principles which guide this work, as well as new ideas for moving the Design Vision forward within future design and development. These principles are meant to help us build what the City values, center people, and uplift diverse lived experiences in Boston.
The design principles are based on: understanding the context of a given space, planning for the future, ensuring future projects support the greater context they are part of, and focusing on smaller details of design to celebrate the culture and architecture specific to individual neighborhoods.
“I believe in the transformative power of design, planning and development in shaping our city for better community outcomes and that starts by placing our people and their lived experiences first,” said Deputy Chief of Urban Design Diana Fernandez Bibeau. “The Design Vision charts a new era of design and planning work that celebrates, amplifies and centers the inherent diversity of our city, its neighborhoods and its people. Fundamentally we want to build on what makes Boston so special, it’s heterogeneous built fabric and its people.”
The Design Vision builds on the existing work of the City’s various departments currently planning and designing for the future of Boston, including Planning, Streets, Parks and Recreation, Housing, etc. These ideas will inform future design guidelines for housing, retail signage in neighborhood centers, and complete streets, as well as ongoing Planning Department initiatives such as Squares + Streets and Article 80 Modernization. As staff work to standardize development regulations and address citywide needs, the Design Vision will help the City to retain what is special and unique about each part of Boston, informed by community input.
"This document is a true testament to the expertise of our community partners and residents, whose voices and insights must be amplified in shaping the future of our built environment," said Executive Director for the Boston Society for Architecture Danyson Tavares. "These principles—understanding place, designing for the future, thinking beyond boundaries, and centering culture—are essential to building a city where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Through thoughtful design, community engagement, and sustainable practices, we can shape vibrant public spaces and resilient environments that meet today's needs while preparing for tomorrow's challenges."
"As landscape architects, we know that the spaces between buildings are the spaces of community," said Executive Director of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects Gretchen Rabinkin. "We applaud Mayor Wu’s focus on the urban design of this shared realm, tuned to the unique beauty of Boston’s diverse neighborhoods, guided by the priorities and aspirations of the people who live there."
The release of this report kicks off a comment period during which staff will hold a public meeting and office hours to discuss the Design Vision with the community. The comment period will run through November 29. To learn more about the Design Vision, you can watch this video, and submit comments on our website. Following the release of the Design Vision, the Planning Department’s Urban Design team will soon release draft Design Guidelines to help Boston's design professionals, homeowners, and developers better build Boston's future.