Boston’s first citywide plan in more than 50 years

Marty believes Boston’s future should be shaped by Boston’s people, their dreams, their talents, and their passion for community. When he ran for mayor four years ago, one of the most frequent concerns he heard from residents was that Boston was a city without a plan. When he became mayor, he made crafting a new citywide plan a priority. But Mayor Walsh knew that this had to be a different kind of plan. The focus on downtown economic development in the last plan, over 50 years ago, set the stage for economic growth, but it wasn’t attentive to the needs of residents in all of Boston’s neighborhoods. So he decided two things: 1: Boston needed a plan created by Bostonians, for Bostonians; and 2: this had to be a truly comprehensive plan, addressing not just development, but all of the major trends affecting our city: population growth, housing demand, inequality, climate change, innovation, and more.

The result, completed this year, is Imagine Boston 2030, our first citywide plan in more than 50 years. Imagine Boston reflects the views of 15,000 Bostonians. It’s our blueprint for inclusive growth. And it’s Boston’s roadmap to a thriving future. The plan lays out five action areas:

  • Enhance neighborhoods. The Plan calls for preserving what residents love about their neighborhoods while enhancing public spaces, neighborhood services, and transportation connections.
  • Encourage mixed-use job centers. This means growing good jobs, amenities, and mixed-income housing in commercial cores like downtown, Chinatown, Fenway, the Longwood Medical Area, and the South Boston Waterfront, as well as in neighborhoods including Charlestown, Allston, and the South End.
  • Expand neighborhoods. Boston has historic opportunities to add mixed-income housing and good jobs in transit-friendly, underutilized areas like Beacon Yards, Fort Point Channel, Newmarket/Widett, Suffolk Downs, Readville, and Sullivan Square.
  • Create a waterfront for future generations. Boston must remain committed to proactive climate planning and investment to create a waterfront that serves all Bostonians and supports future generations.
  • Fairmount Corridor: generating networks of opportunity. Coordinated investments in education, transportation, arts & culture, open space, and jobs along this key route that runs through some of Boston’s most historically underserved neighborhoods.

Imagine Boston is a plan for long-term success, shaping key decisions for years to come. But implementation has already begun. This year, Mayor Walsh directed the City’s capital budget to be shaped by the goals of Imagine Boston. That translates into a pledge of $2.08 billion through 2022 for capital improvements to Boston’s schools, roads, bridges, parks, libraries, community centers, fire stations and other community assets. Read Mayor Walsh discussing the kind of neighborhood transformation Imagine Boston has begun to unlock.

Imagine Boston 2030 is a living document. Learn more and find opportunities for continued input.