Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston

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Map of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
Footbridge of the waterfront on the Charles River in Boston
Boston green spaces compared between 1892 and 1902

The Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is a system of national parks , parks , parkways and roads under the control of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in and around Boston in the state of Massachusetts in the United States . The designation is used by the DCR to jointly describe the total area: "By and large, the Metropolitan Park System is currently suitable for being included as a separate entry in the National Register of Historic Places ". The DCR maintains a separate department for city parks and recreation areas in the Bureau of State Parks and Recreation, and another department takes care of the other state parks in Massachusetts . Direct design and maintenance tasks for the parkways and streets within the system are carried out by the DCR Bureau of Engineering .

The park system consists of coastal reserves and beaches such as Revere Beach , river areas along the three major rivers such as the Charles River Reservation, and forest reserves such as the Blue Hills Reservation to the south of the city. In addition, there are parks related to local history in Lynn and Roxbury . The DCR also manages a system of parkways that connect the urban population with the green spaces. These include both busy streets like the Jamaicaway in Boston and remote streets in uninhabited areas like the Blue Hills Reservation Parkways .

history

The improvement of undeveloped land, detrimental developments and contaminated land in and around Boston was first conceived and promoted by landscape architect Charles Eliot and Boston newspaper editor and city ​​planner Sylvester Baxter . Eliot was an apprentice to Frederick Law Olmsted and in 1893 took over the management of Olmsted's design company, which was responsible for the design of Central Park in Manhattan . Together with Eliot, Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace in Boston, a system of connected parks and waterways. Eliot played an important role in founding today's Trustees of Reservations and the Metropolitan Parks Commission in the 1890s. His vision was to expand the individual park networks in the Boston area.

The Metropolitan Park Commission , approved by the Massachusetts General Court in 1892, consisted of Charles Francis Adams, Jr. , Philip A. Chase, and William B. de las Casas at the time of its formation . The commission hired Baxter as secretary and Eliot as landscape architect. The first five areas acquired by the Commission for the system in 1893 were Beaver Brook Reservation , Blue Hills Reservation , Hemlock Gorge Reservation , Middlesex Fells Reservation, and Stony Brook Reservation . Around 1900, the system already comprised various built or planned parkways and the first coastal reserves ( Lynn Shore Reservation , Nantasket Beach , Quincy Shore Reservation , Revere Beach and other reserves along the Charles River , Mystic River and Neponset River ) were added.

In 1919, the commission was renamed the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) after it was merged with the Metropolitan Water and Sewer Commission . During the next 80 years the MDC became increasingly politicized. After a series of wrong decisions within the commission that led to the pollution of Boston Harbor in the 1970s, the City of Quincy sued the MDC and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission in 1982 for uncontrolled and systematic pollution of urban docks. This process was followed by other lawsuits from the Conservation Law Foundation and ultimately also from the federal government of the United States , which ultimately led to Boston Harbor having to be thoroughly cleaned up by court order. The lawsuits forced then Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis to separate the fresh and wastewater treatment departments from the MDC, which in 1985 led to the establishment of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority . Allegations of political corruption and governance continued to haunt the MDC, while a decline in revenue from the spin-off of its water and sanitation departments resulted in the state of Massachusetts investing more taxpayer dollars in the MDC. The result was calls for the MDC to be broken up, which finally took place in 2003. The Metropolitan Park System and other MDC operations were transferred to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management to form what is now the Department of Conservation and Recreation .

In 2009, a study began to investigate the portability of DCR-managed parkways to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation . All bridges previously managed by the DCR that are not intended for pedestrians have already been transferred.

Parks and reserves

The following table shows the parks and reserves currently managed by the DCR City Parks and Recreation Areas Department.

Metropolitan Parks and Reserves
Coastal areas
Surname
Founding year
 Parish (noun)
Surface
Acres ( hectare )
 Freetime activities
Belle Isle Marsh 1985 Boston 241 (97.5) Hiking, landscape
Boston Harbor Islands 1970 Boston, Hingham, Quincy, Weymouth 404 (163.5) Boating, camping, fishing, history, picnicking, scenery, swimming, hiking
Castle Island 1962 Boston 22 (8.9) Fishing, history, picnicking, scenery, swimming, hiking
Dorchester Shores 1988 Boston 41.3 (16.7) Fishing, picnicking, swimming
Fort Revere Park 1988 Hull 8 (3.2) Events, history, landscape
Lynn Shore 1896 Lynn 22 (8.9) Cycling, bird watching, fishing, playgrounds and sports fields, swimming
Nahant Beach 1900 Nahant 66.5 (26.9) Boating, fishing, playgrounds and sports fields, swimming
Nantasket Beach 1899 Hull 26 (10.5) Cycling, swimming, hiking
Quincy Shore 1899 Quincy 86 (34.8) Biking, fishing, picnicking, running, swimming, hiking
Revere Beach 1896 Revere 84 (33.9) Fishing, picnicking, playgrounds, swimming
Rumney Marsh 1992 Saugus 600 (242.8) Bird watching, fishing, hiking, kayaking
Webb Memorial State Park 1977 Weymouth 36 (14.6) Canoeing, picnicking, countryside, hiking
Weymouth Back River 1987 Hingham, Weymouth 35 (14.2) Bird watching, fishing, hiking, soccer
Rivers
Alewife Brook 1906 Arlington, Cambridge 120 (48.6) Bird watching, hiking, playgrounds and sports fields, running, tennis
Charles River 1896 Boston, Cambridge, Dover, Needham, Newton, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston 870 (352.1) Sports fields, boating, canoeing, concerts, running, sailing, tennis, hiking
Chestnut Hill 2002 Boston 120 (48.6) Fishing, history, swimming pools, skating, hiking
Cutler Park 1962 Dedham, Needham, Newton 700 (283.3) Hiking, picnicking
Elm Bank 1995 Dover 182 (73.7) Bird watching, fishing, hiking, kayaking, visiting museums
Hemlock Gorge 1895 Needham, Newton 23 (9.3) Hiking, picnicking
Mystic River 1896 Arlington, Everett, Medford, Somerville 396 (160.3) Biking, boating, hiking, rowing, running, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis
Neponset River 1896 Boston, Canton, Milton 750 (303.5) Bird watching, boating, fishing, hiking, kayaking
Pope John Paul II Park 2001 Boston 66 (26.7) Bird watching, hiking, kayaking, running, soccer
Squantum Point Park 2001 Quincy 25 (10.1) Bird watching, canoeing, inline skating, running, scenery
Forest areas
Beaver Brook 1893 Belmont, Waltham 59 (23.9) Baseball, bird watching, hiking, picnicking
Blue Hills 1893 Braintree, Canton, Milton, Quincy, Randolph 7,000 (2,832.8) Camping, fishing, horse riding, mountain biking, climbing, skiing, swimming
Breakheart 1934 Saugus, Wakefield 640 (259) Cycling, fishing, hiking, skiing, swimming
Hammond Pond 1938 Newton 59 (23.9) Fishing, hiking, climbing
Middlesex Fells 1894 Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester 2,575 (1,042.1) Canoeing, fishing, equestrian sports, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, skiing
Quincy Quarries 1985 Quincy 22 (8.9) Hiking, picnicking, climbing, scenery
Southwest Corridor Park 1987 Boston 52 (21) Basketball, cycling, tennis, hiking
Stony Brook 1894 Boston, Dedham 475 (192.2) Baseball, biking, fishing, hiking, picnicking, swimming, skating, tennis
Wilson Mountain 1995 Dedham 213 (86.2) Bird watching, hiking
heritage Site
Lynn Heritage State Park 1990 Lynn 4.2 (1.7) History, landscape, hiking
Roxbury Heritage State Park 1992 Roxbury 2.2 (0.9) Architectural History, Public Programs and Events, History

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Places to Go: DCR Parks in Greater Boston. In: Mass.gov. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, accessed January 23, 2012 .
  2. ^ A b c Division of Urban Parks and Recreation History. In: Mass.gov. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, accessed January 23, 2012 .
  3. ^ Planning and Engineering. In: Mass.gov. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, accessed January 23, 2012 .
  4. ↑ Massachusetts Metropolitan Park Commission (ed.): Report of the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners . January, 1893. Wright & Potter Printing Co., Boston 1893, OCLC 80333590 , p. 16-19, 31, 88-89, 91, 108-109 .
  5. ^ A b Charles William Eliot: Charles Eliot. Landscape architect . Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston 1902, OCLC 79389359 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  6. ^ A b Board of Paris Exposition Managers: A history and description of the Boston metropolitan parks . Wright & Potter Printing Co., Boston 1900, OCLC 16896572 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  7. ^ Massachusetts Metropolitan Park Commission: Report of the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners . December 1916. Wright & Potter Printing Co., Boston 1917 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  8. ^ A b Mark Leccese: Enhancing Regional Greenfrastructure. (PDF; 973 kB) Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston / Harvard University, 2003, accessed on January 24, 2012 (English).
  9. ↑ Eric Jay Dolin : Political waters . the long, dirty, contentious, incredibly expensive but eventually triumphant history of Boston Harbor - a unique environmental success story. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst 2004, ISBN 978-1-55849-445-9 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  10. ^ A. David Mazzone: Chamber Papers on the Boston Harbor Clean Up Case, 1985-2005. (No longer available online.) In: Joseph P. Healey Library. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010 ; accessed on January 24, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lib.umb.edu
  11. ^ Mass Moments: Massachusetts Creates Nation's First Regional Park System. Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, accessed January 24, 2012 .
  12. ^ Watershed Supply Protection Trust. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accessed January 24, 2012 .
  13. ↑ Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009 (Section 177). The 186th General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accessed January 24, 2012 .
  14. ↑ Christina Pazzanese: A big concern on two major parkways. In: Boston Globe . September 12, 2009, accessed January 24, 2012 .
  15. ↑ The information on size, date of foundation and location are given on the DCR website for some, but not all, of the entries mentioned. In these cases, the data given come either from the source cited there or from the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in the data view Protected and Recreational Open Space . The size information obtained from there may also include areas that are not accessible to the public, as they can also include administrative areas and undeveloped areas of a park.
  16. ^ Friends of Belle Isle Marsh . Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  17. ^ Boston Harbor Islands State Park . In: President and Trustees of Harvard College (Ed.): Arnoldia . tape 48 , no. 3 , 1988, ISSN  0004-2633 , OCLC 2444988 , pp. 21–22 ( arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu [PDF; accessed January 25, 2012]).
  18. ^ The Boston Harborwalk: Learn about history . The Boston Harbor Association. Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 10, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bostonharborwalk.com
  19. ^ Boston Harbor Islands State Park . In: President and Trustees of Harvard College (Ed.): Arnoldia . tape 48 , no. 3 , 1988, ISSN  0004-2633 , OCLC 2444988 , pp. 14 ( arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu [PDF; accessed January 25, 2012]).
  20. ↑ Healthy Communities Grant Program 2007 (PDF; 243 kB) Town of Hull. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  21. ^ Charles Francis Adams: Report of the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners . Wright & Potter Print. Co, Boston 1896, OCLC 7394561 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  22. ^ City of Newton: City charter, chapter 283, acts of 1897, ordinances of 1898, standing regulations, statutes relating to the city . Fanning Printing Co., Newton Upper Falls 1898, OCLC 38556212 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  23. ↑ Wollaston Beach . City of Quincy. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  24. ^ Revere Beach . Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  25. ↑ Island Facts: Webb Memorial State Park . United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  26. ↑ Stodder's Neck / Abigail Adams Park . Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  27. ^ Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Ed.): Private and special statutes of the commonwealth of Massachusetts . tape 20 . Manning & Loring, Boston 1909, OCLC 183313361 , p. 293 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  28. ^ Chestnut Hill Reservation: Resource Management Plan . Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  29. ^ Robert A. Cerasoli: Annual Report 1996. (PDF) Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of the Inspector General, archived from the original on June 6, 2011 ; accessed on October 29, 2012 (English).
  30. ↑ Hemlock Gorge . Newton Conservators. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  31. ^ National Register Information System . In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Retrieved April 15, 2008.
  32. ^ History. Friends of the Fells, archived from the original on July 26, 2011 ; accessed on October 29, 2012 (English).
  33. ↑ Patrick J. Walsh: Of granite, plugs, and feathers. In: Boston Globe . December 13, 2009, accessed January 25, 2012 .

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