Case Study D: A Bridge to Somewhere

Case study site d: A Bridge to Somewhere

Robert Lane

The Everett Street Bridge is one of only three crossings between north and south Allston and the only one at the center of the neighborhood. The study area is characterized by a mix of both viable and marginal industrial, commercial, and residential uses.

This design speculation reflects the intersection of two overlapping and perpendicular corridors:  the Mass Pike (east-west) and Everett Street (north-south).  The Everett Street corridor, in turn, leads to the redevelopment areas in the north side of Allston that are part of the Harvard master plan for Allston.

Strategies/Interventions:

A new train station supports this intensified node as well as the surrounding neighborhoods.

Infill redevelopment is anticipated along the Everett Street Corridor from Western Avenue to North Beacon Street.

The highway and the existing frontage road, Franklin Street, are consolidated to make room for new green space and for a linear zone of at-grade development on the former highway right-of-way.

The design suggests reuse scenarios for several of the “big boxes” including the large and currently unoccupied storage facility.  At the shopping center site (south), a hybrid typology is suggested where new live-work buildings are “clipped on” to the big box.

Sustainability Agenda:

Clean production activities are brought back into the city to minimize transportation.

Existing buildings are adapted and reused.