What to do about Government Center

read a book and have lunch
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Let's not forget whenever we indulge the fantasy of thousands of people doing this on every open space that it's completely unlikely / impractical for 65% of the year.

a couple grassy areas off the side of a main-throughway wouldn't really hurt
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Every little urban intervention makes a big difference. "Little grassy areas" are why towers in the park suck. They're not surrounded by endless glades of parkland, but the slivers of "green" that do cut them off from the city and each other substantially deaden their surroundings, and are completely pointless and unnecessary when located next to other urban parks.
 
czsz said:
Let's not forget whenever we indulge the fantasy of thousands of people doing this on every open space that it's completely unlikely / impractical for 65% of the year.



Every little urban intervention makes a big difference. "Little grassy areas" are why towers in the park suck. They're not surrounded by endless glades of parkland, but the slivers of "green" that do cut them off from the city and each other substantially deaden their surroundings, and are completely pointless and unnecessary when located next to other urban parks.
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It can't get any worse though. If we have to have something, it might as well be programmed respite areas.
 
It would be worse, because once something sprouts a blade of grass in Boston it becomes Sacred Ground that can never be built on again. The Greenway may still be ruining Boston for centuries hence.
 
What to do about Government Center:

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As soon as the FBI vacates the JFK building, eliminating all the security concerns for not having a street there, someone needs to bulldoze in an extension of Hanover Street to Cambridge Street to put an end to this nonsense.
 
Lurker said:
As soon as the FBI vacates the JFK building, eliminating all the security concerns for not having a street there, someone needs to bulldoze in an extension of Hanover Street to Cambridge Street to put an end to this nonsense.
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Most of the people at the Greening of Government Center meeting seemed supportive of extending Hanover St when possible, and I didn't hear any opposition at all. I bet it will happen at some point. I can't wait for that building to go...
 
I'm not attached to the JFK building in any way, but could it be repurposed instead of demolished, while still extending Hanover Street through the plaza?
 
I was against the extension of Hanover Street but can't remember why. LOL!

Actually, I think the problem with the proposal made ... ten years ago? ... was that it was going to cede power to Norm Leventhal over part of it. So, even though they've done a great job with Post Office Square, it seemed too "cliquey" to me.
 
I love the JFK building's tower, but I don't like the low-rise portion. That exposed stair is simply beautiful at night.
 
found5dollar said:
Is the JFK building the one that looks like a giant cigarette?
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I guess you could say it looks like cigarettes. I just adore that stair when it's backlit at night. It's the highlight of my nightly trip back across City Hall Plaza to Gov't Center.
 
I've worked in the tower and though it's predictably, bureaucratically grim on the inside, it definitely isn't half bad on the exterior.

The lowrise portion should die a thousand deaths, though.


(Footnote: The libertarian members of the forum will be outraged to hear that, in the highrise, there are little snack counters set up every few floors that cashiers are paid to sit at all day.)
 
czsz said:
(Footnote: The libertarian members of the forum will be outraged to hear that, in the highrise, there are little snack counters set up every few floors that cashiers are paid to sit at all day.)
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I'm writing an angry letter to Ron Paul right now.
 
czsz said:
I've worked in the tower and though it's predictably, bureaucratically grim on the inside, it definitely isn't half bad on the exterior.

The lowrise portion should die a thousand deaths, though.


(Footnote: The libertarian members of the forum will be outraged to hear that, in the highrise, there are little snack counters set up every few floors that cashiers are paid to sit at all day.)
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Yeah, I've seen a couple interior photos. It looks horrible. It's got such a grand stature outside, you'd expect it to have more of a Prudential Tower feel to the interiors.

One thing that's always puzzled me is how practical is that stair? The aesthetic of it is gorgeous, but I just often wonder how it's actually used. I don't know the layout of the building or anything, so it's hard to relate program and circulation to each other.
 
Here's my fix. Red lines are new or rerouted streets. Yellow lines are developable parcels.

Small streets and high density:

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What's everyone's opinion on moving the Holocaust Memorial to the Greenway (assuming the Greenway is permanently going to be some park/open space).

As it is, it just feels really weird. I guess if you're using Haymarket to/from Quincy Market it's cool, but other than that I don't see it linking much.
 
One thing that's always puzzled me is how practical is that stair? The aesthetic of it is gorgeous, but I just often wonder how it's actually used. I don't know the layout of the building or anything, so it's hard to relate program and circulation to each other.
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I never used them in the time that I worked there. Even during bomb scares (it's a federal building, after all) we were told to just stay put and not leave the office (I still question the wisdom of this).

What's everyone's opinion on moving the Holocaust Memorial to the Greenway (assuming the Greenway is permanently going to be some park/open space).
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The Holocaust Memorial is one of the most thoughtful pieces of urban sculpture in the US. As is, it captures a lot of attention. On the Greenway, it would just look like (and be) another transparent attempt to attract life, which would be perverse. It would also be located on the same strip as the Armenian Memorial, which would give the whole space a morbid quality. And since I hope the Greenway is seriously reformed one day, I'm not really in favor of anything I want to keep permanent in Boston moving there.

The only thing wrong with the little Holocaust Memorial park is that it isn't framed with buildings equal in size to the Blackstone Block on the other side. Narrow Congress St. substantially and build a row of narrow 3-5 story brick buildings in front of City Hall and the Plaza; it would give the whole area a much needed dose of intimacy.
 
I'd like to see it moved for two reasons. One is it's too close to the Auerbach statue and two from some views it's right under a neon sign. Some where on the greenway might work after all the big dig was a donor to the memorial
 
Would the impact of the Holocaust Memorial be reduced if it were enclosed and not so visible from a long way off?

(It's not next to Red Auerbach's statue -- that's at Quincy Market. It's next to Curley's statues.)
 
I love this idea of reconfiguring the Plaza. We won't have to fight to tear down City Hall; we can simply hide it.
 
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