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Layer: Open Space Planning Neighborhoods (ID: 8)

Name: Open Space Planning Neighborhoods

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Description: The City of Boston 2015-2021 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) has chapters for each city neighborhood. In past OSRPs, we have used the “Planning Districts” defined by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA, now known as the Boston Planning and Development Agency, BPDA) Research Office. This made it easier for Parks Department staff to lay out statistics aggregated in that size area versus census tracts, block groups, subneighborhoods, or “neighborhood statistical areas.” These Planning Districts generally had the names and boundaries of neighborhoods recognized by most residents.The major exception was for Dorchester. Given the near universal view by Dorchester activists that the division of Dorchester into North and South sections was not recognized by residents, we have in the past combined the two sections into one neighborhood, and added the statistics accordingly.We have also broken out where it was felt needed discussion of subneighborhoods within the OSRP neighborhood chapters. Sometimes this is done in the history and demography sections (like Central Boston), but most times in the open space assessment section. In several cases, the subneighborhoods were denoted in the chapter title: Jamaica Plain/Mission Hill, Fenway/Kenmore, Allston-Brighton, Back Bay/Beacon Hill.In recent years, the BRA came up with a different delineation of the neighborhoods. This was likely done as a collaboration between their planning and GIS offices, and in response to many neighborhood activists’ disagreement with the BRA Research Office Planning District boundaries. The new BRA (now BPDA) neighborhood map legend states: “Neighborhood boundaries based on zip codes and zoning districts and census tracts.” This has resulted in a proliferation of “neighborhoods.” The BRA Research Office has breakouts of the census data for both Planning Districts and the new Neighborhoods.Parks Staff felt new neighborhood boundaries were needed for the 2015-2021 OSRP, and were arrived at as follows:Due to limited staff resources, the Parks and Recreation Department decided not to draft additional chapters for the fine-grained new neighborhoods proposed by the BRA (BPDA). We already have some discussion of sub-neighborhoods within the more conventional neighborhood chapters.Therefore, we aggregated the new BRA neighborhoods using the Planning District model, except we used the new BRA neighborhood boundaries. This resulted in some change in neighborhood boundaries, such as with Dorchester and Mattapan, where many sub-neighborhoods were moved from the latter to the former. One exception to this aggregation process was with Mission Hill, which was the one new neighborhood (and neighborhood chapter). The rationale for this is Mission Hill’s unique mixture of socioeconomics/demographics – a blend of Roxbury, Fenway/Longwood, and Jamaica Plain – and landscape distinctiveness has given it an identity well known throughout the region. Franklin Park is Boston’s largest park that is not a state reservation. It is a centrally located regional open space. As such it is used frequently by residents in several nearby neighborhoods. The BRA (BPDA) has decided to allocate all of Franklin Park to only one neighborhood, Roxbury. While Roxbury borders this park, so do other neighborhoods. Based on Parks and Recreation Department staff consultation, it was felt that in terms of recreation, dividing this park so that other neighborhoods as well as Roxbury received an allocation of Franklin Park’s land area was more realistic. The OSRP Neighborhoods map reflects this division between Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain.

Service Item Id: 932bdee847474b78ac35a0d06d588517

Copyright Text: The City of Boston recognizes the value and benefit gained by sharing GIS data. Although the City has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate data, the City makes no representations or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information provided. The City of Boston provides this data as is and with all faults, and makes no warranty of any kind. Each user is responsible for determining the suitability of the data for their intended use or purpose. Neither the City nor its affiliates, employees, or agents shall be liable for any loss or injury caused in whole or in part by use of any data obtained from this website. The GIS data is updated and modified on a regular basis and users are encouraged to report any errors to the City. Note: Data provided in the open space property inventories contained in this file were developed for general planning purposes only, and as such are the best available data. However, readers are cautioned that use of such data may not be appropriate or sufficient for legal, design, or other site-specific purposes. For such purposes, only research in the Registry of Deeds or other appropriate offices, property surveys, and field-checked research can be considered appropriately reliable. The City of Boston recognizes the value and benefit gained by sharing data. Although the City has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate data, the City makes no representations or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information provided. The City of Boston provides this data as is and with all faults, and makes no warranty of any kind. Each user is responsible for determining the suitability of the data for their intended use or purpose. Neither the City nor its affiliates, employees, or agents shall be liable for any loss or injury caused in whole or in part by use of any data obtained from this website, publication, or other information conveyance. The GIS data is updated and modified on a ongoing basis and users are encouraged to report any errors to the City.

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