The Emerald Necklace: Boston, Massachusetts

Summary

Spanning nearly 400 years of public involvement and advocacy, planning, land acquisitions, land filling, construction, and reconstruction, Boston's Emerald Necklace is one of the country's undisputed urban park crown jewels.

Designated Area

A chain of parks beginning near Downtown Crossing to the north, then continuing south and west along the Boston-Brookline border and then south and east to Dorchester.

The Emerald Necklace prides itself on accessibility to all Bostonians and visitors. The nine public spaces are constantly in use and provide an ideal backdrop for gatherings or performances. Photo courtesy of John Ellingwood and Kyle Gnerre.

Planning Excellence

Spanning nearly 400 years of public involvement and advocacy, planning, land acquisitions, land filling, construction, and reconstruction, Boston's Emerald Necklace is one of the country's undisputed urban park crown jewels.

From its humble beginning as a cow pasture in the early 17th century to today's 1,100-acre chain of nine parks, including a connecting boulevard, the Emerald Necklace is the heart of what urban park expert Peter Hartnik calls "the nation's oldest and most venerable metropolitan park system."

Upper class Bostonians saw public spaces as vital for Boston to be a first-class city. By the 19th century they had three such places: Boston Common, Public Garden, and the grand Parisian-like boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

The first priority in selecting a site for the new public spaces, according to an 1875 report by the Boston Parks Commission, was "accessibility for all classes of citizens by walking, driving, riding, or by means of horse or steam cars."

Instead of one central park to be reached through one neighborhood, Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a series of interconnected parks that capitalized on Boston's unique topography and waterways. He also stressed that the largest space — Franklin Park — should remain open because "openness is the one thing you cannot get in buildings."

More than a hundred years later, the eight parks and connecting mall making up the Emerald Necklace still offer "tranquility and rest of mind" as Olmsted intended.

Franklin Park, the Emerald Necklace's largest space, was purposely left open by Olmsted as a way to contrast Boston's dense downtown and because 'openness is one thing you cannot get in buildings.' Photo courtesy of John Ellingwood and Kyle Gnerre.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Rich History

  • Boston Common, the oldest park in the country, was used in 1634 as cow grazing area; used for political rallies throughout American Revolution and Civil War
  • Noxious odors, health hazards from standing sewage in Back Bay, prompt land filling of bay (1830s); railroads bring fill from nine miles away; fill increases city's acreage from 450 to 783 acres; Public Garden located on new land (1837)
  • Boston Public Garden is country's first botanic garden; features equestrian sculpture of George Washington and pedal-powered swan boats, which have been used on the four-acre pond since 1877
  • All system components — Franklin Park, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, Riverway, Back Bay Fens, Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall — designated National Historic Landmarks and Boston Landmarks
  • Named American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Planning Landmark (1991)

Necklace Jewels

  • Back Bay Fens features the Kelleher Rose Garden and oldest remaining World War II "Victory Garden" in the country; community events every Tuesday
  • Franklin Park home to Schoolmaster Hill, Ralph Waldo Emerson's cabin abode;  18-hole William J. Divine golf course; New England's largest zoo
  • Arnold Arboretum, country's first arboretum (1882), operated by Harvard University; 4,000 varieties of woody plants, state-of-the-art research facility
  • Jamaica Pond, park's largest body of water, features rowing, sailing, fishing, concert venue; Olmsted Park and Riverway are system's most natural parks
  • Emerald Necklace connects to 12 neighborhoods: Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Back Bay, Fenway, Brookline, Longwood, Mission Hill, Roxbury Jamaica Plain, Forest Hills, Roslindale, Dorchester
  • Accessible from 20 stops on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green and Orange lines; more than 40 bus routes
  • Necklace joined by parallel auto parkway and seven miles of walking, running, and biking trails

Public Support, Ongoing Improvement

  • Non-profit Friends of the Public Garden, formed in 1970s, provides volunteer and financial support to Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall; The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (1998), stewards the Olmsted-designed parks; provides 20,000 volunteer hours annually, financial support
  • Olmsted's original plan was for a U-shaped necklace, connecting Franklin Park to Marine Park in South Boston via Columbia Road; latter segment never completed. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy supports the vision of improving a five-mile section of Columbia Road and William J. Day Boulevard that would connect Franklin Park to South Boston
  • Muddy River Restoration Project, a $90 million joint city, state, Town of Brookline and Army Corps of Engineers project, to restore water quality and open river (now flowing through culvert) between Back Bay Fens and Riverway Park
  • More than a million visitors use Emerald Necklace each year

The Emerald Necklace features a variety of picturesque park space. Bridges, footpaths and trails uniquely connect all nine spaces. Photo courtesy of John Ellingwood and Kyle Gnerre.