Tontine Crescent, Boston

Millennium Partners
Boston, Massachusetts

HSH designed a transformative project, creating public space from the currently underutilized streets in an area called the Tontine Crescent, harking back to its original design and usage 100 years ago. It involved replacing vehicular right of way (ROW) with new public space and bicycle accommodations. In collaboration with HSH and the City, the developer implemented a tactical pedestrian intervention plan in 2018, installing temporary curbing, planters, and barriers to create a public space within the existing roadway, as well as placing bollards as bump outs and applying new pavement markings for bicycle and vehicular operations.

Following the successful implementation and use of the Tactical Plaza, construction began in the summer of 2021 for the permanent plaza placement. New features included a new concrete sidewalk adjacent to the spacious plaza area laid in concrete pavers, a raised cycle track, various sized precast planters with built-in benches and raised planter beds, public use bicycle racks, enhanced streetlighting with fixtures matching the historic decor, a trench drain with a decorative grate to collect excess water, improved wheelchair ramps, and new traffic signal equipment.