John Harvard Mall

Weston & Sampson was selected to collaborate with stakeholders and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) to develop a new master plan for John Harvard Mall in Boston, Massachusetts.

Through a public engagement process, our team developed alternative master plans to be sensitive to the existing infrastructure and historic context, and mindful of contemporary, inclusive design. The new design opened up the front entrance to Main Street and activated plazas that were suffering from lack of light and air due to mature Linden trees. Extensive pavement design studies were undertaken to honor the site’s history while creating a new ground plane that was accessible and permeable in strategic areas for stormwater management. Tree preservation and the introduction of electrical service made the design especially complex. Sustainable design solutions included complete stormwater capture of the first inch of water over the entire space through a stormwater design that incorporates infiltration chambers under the new upper lawn and lower entrance improvements.