City Hall Plaza Revamp | Government Center

[TC_zoid]

What? If by fringe group you can the majority of the City of Boston that has marked city hall as one of the most hated buildings in the city, sure. I'd say the fringe group are the people that like City Hall and Brutalism in general.

Then I'd say half of D.C. shall have to go too.

 

[statler]

In case anyone was wondering about why some people are making a fuss about lawsuits, this was a big deal back in the 80's:

In 1978, a toddler named Frank Nelson made his way to the top of a 12-foot slide in Hamlin Park in Chicago, with his mother, Debra, a few steps behind him. The structure, installed three years earlier, was known as a “tornado slide” because it twisted on the way down, but the boy never made it that far. He fell through the gap between the handrail and the steps and landed on his head on the asphalt. A year later, his parents sued the Chicago Park District and the two companies that had manufactured and installed the slide.
{...}
In January 1985, the Chicago Park District settled the suit with the Nelsons. Frank Nelson was guaranteed a minimum of $9.5 million.

Of course, the article I got this from is actually arguing that playgrounds should be less safe.
The Overprotected Kid

 

[BronsonShore]

Isn't this redesign of the plaza--a softening up of or feeling better with--a result of a fringe group that wanted to raze city hall because they single mindedly decided that Brutalism was an unfit architectural style for today's civic buildings? And with some of today's political gatherings--or reaching back to when busing was a big fight in this town--children are the last group of humans that you would want nearby. Just, be careful.

Let me make sure I have this right: you don't think there should be a playground here, because sometimes there are protests??

 

[urbandozer79]

I'm guessing the immediate ground where the slide lets out is rubberized. But I doubt this slide will continue the way it is. Someone will get hurt and the lawyers will swarm.

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[dhawkins]

I went to check out the construction CAM. Looks like someone turned it off. I think I'm gonna miss being able to look at downtown. Any other construction CAMs out there?

 

[#bancars]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1625670580648263680

 

[bip05]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1625670580648263680

are you allowed to ride your bike like that on the plaza?

 

[Lrfox]

are you allowed to ride your bike like that on the plaza?

I don't know if you're supposed to, but I see a lot of people doing it and I personally don't mind at all. There's plenty of room for both pedestrians and cyclists.

 

[Smuttynose]

Just think of how many park improvements and greenways we could've funded throughout Boston if we didn't spend tens of millions on this and instead sold the plaza for high density residential development.

I keep coming back to this. Especially, since the mayor has made it a point to audit all city-owned property to determine opportunities for new housing. Well, there's a great opportunity right outside your office! I've heard that over 270 buildings were demolished to make way for Government Center which is home to a grand total of three buildings. All the work they are doing there now will make it less bad, but it will never be good without more fundamental changes.

 

[Sprngh2o]

are you allowed to ride your bike like that on the plaza?

 

[Charlie_mta]

I don't know if you're supposed to, but I see a lot of people doing it and I personally don't mind at all. There's plenty of room for both pedestrians and cyclists.

On City Hall Plaza, couldn't there be marked bicycle lanes, to warn people there are bikes there and also confine the bikes to the marked path?

 

[Lrfox]

On City Hall Plaza, couldn't there be marked bicycle lanes, to warn people there are bikes there and also confine the bikes to the marked path?

Maybe. I guess you could do one from around the T headhouse down toward Hanover, and another from the JFK building to the Washington Mall. But I don't know if cyclists would stick to the paths/lanes as there are other origins/destinations and routes bikers will travel to get there. We'll see when there are peak crowds in the summer, but I think it works fine as a woonerf style setup (minus motor vehicles) since the concentration of pedestrians (and maybe the slope and surface of the plaza) should prevent cyclists from riding too dangerously.

 

[#bancars]

Maybe. I guess you could do one from around the T headhouse down toward Hanover, and another from the JFK building to the Washington Mall. But I don't know if cyclists would stick to the paths/lanes as there are other origins/destinations and routes bikers will travel to get there. We'll see when there are peak crowds in the summer, but I think it works fine as a woonerf style setup (minus motor vehicles) since the concentration of pedestrians (and maybe the slope and surface of the plaza) should prevent cyclists from riding too dangerously.

Agree--the space is so big there really isn't a need for demarcation. Humans are remarkably good at avoiding each other at slow speeds when walking or cycling. And aside from when there are actual programmed events in the plaza, it rarely if ever feels crowded--plenty of space!

 

[DAVE]

I personally NEED to go down this slide...

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

Not much of a news flash I know….but it was my first time since before the reno! I like it if anything because they kept a significant portion of the open space brick surface. That’s what makes it great I think. I didn’t get a chance to check out the park side of the plaza…but looks nice too!

 

[Charlie_mta]

The whole thing is way, way too much brick, both on the City Hall Plaza and then in the fortress-like base of City Hall itself. To me it looks boring and desolate. Yeah, I know brick is supposed to be the iconic look of old Boston, but even old Boston didn't have this much brick everywhere. The old photos of the pre-GC Scollay Square, including the streets, sidewalks and buildings, did not have a lot of brick. I would have liked something similar to the plaza at the new Lechmere Station and REI (see photo below). It would have been really cool to have the red paths (as in the photo below) retrace the original pre-GC street pattern, giving a historical, interesting reference for tourists, pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the plaza.

 

[stick n move]

Not much of a news flash I know….but it was my first time since before the reno! I like it if anything because they kept a significant portion of the open space brick surface. That’s what makes it great I think. I didn’t get a chance to check out the park side of the plaza…but looks nice too!

View attachment 35123View attachment 35126View attachment 35124View attachment 35125

These pictures make it look like nothing changed at all. You see here the same vast wind swept expanse of nothing but brick.

 

[chrisbrat]

These pictures make it look like nothing changed at all. You see here the same vast wind swept expanse of nothing but brick.

exactly. It sucks as much as before and always will until//unless they enclose it and surround the plaza with food and retail and housing.

it’s the easiest, most obvious fix in all of U.S, urban planning and Boston is too fucking stupid to do it correctly, even after 50-plus years.

 

[Charlie_mta]

exactly. It sucks as much as before and always will until//unless they enclose it and surround the plaza with food and retail and housing.

it’s the easiest, most obvious fix in all of U.S, urban planning and Boston is too fucking stupid to do it correctly, even after 50-plus years.

This ^^^^. Also I would tear down the low-rise portion of the Federal Building (on the west side of the plaza), tear down the 1-2-3 Center Plaza building, and replace them with tall residential and/or office buildings with ground-floor retail. And set up retail, like you say, elsewhere along the edges, as well as within, the plaza. But I'd of course go even further and punch a few small streets through the plaza with some small scale buildings with retail/residential at street level but punctuated by some tall residential and office. No labs allowed of course.

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

These pictures make it look like nothing changed at all. You see here the same vast wind swept expanse of nothing but brick.

I disagree with all the anti-openspace sentiments. It’s a great space for rallies and fairs - It’s adaptable and can host many kinds of public gatherings. Like for example the B&B Circus a few years back, or a hip hop musical festival the next week. Hardscaped openspace (bricked, no less!) is an enviable asset to many other cities.

You just need to picture it with thousands of people activating the open space.