Tinkering with what already exists
Editor’s note: This is part 2 of our 2021 Year in Review Series. You can read the intro post here, and the Part 1 post here. You can follow along with these and other projects on our (new!) Instagram account (@newurbanmechanics) or Twitter (@newurbanmechs).
Take a look around any street or neighborhood in Boston and you’ll see a hundred things working. Street lights, street trees, walk signals, housing zoning, curb ramps, stop signs. There’s water we can drink, bicycles we can ride, places we can go to find shelter or access information or just sit together. Every day we benefit from countless things that already work well.
Taking to heart our goal of finding new ways to support each other, we often find ways to care for what’s already there, even more. Existing programs, services, and infrastructure can be even more inclusive, convenient, or beneficial. This continuous creative improvement is part of our process too: ‘yes-and’-ing what already works in the city.
Here are five projects in which we tinkered with what already exists.
Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) Early Adopter Cohort
An extension of the existing Additional Dwelling Unit Program, the ADU 2.0 program brought together homeowners who were interested in converting existing accessory structures to a livable space. We identified four pilot neighborhoods, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale, and Jamaica Plain, targeting existing buildings such as carriage houses and detached accessory garages and sheds.
What was “the question” this project was answering?
How can we work with homeowners to better understand the challenges of transforming existing exterior structures into ADUs?
What lessons did you learn from this work?
We learned to investigate what zoning needs would have to be amended in order to make this a seamless process for homeowners, similar to our initial ADU program. We also learned that the workshop model allows for a cross pollination of ideas between homeowners. Because of this, we have since dedicated part of our monthly ADU workshop calls to work with homeowners interested in creating ADUs in their carriage houses, garages, and sheds.
How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?
We are creating a plan for the year ahead, including engaging with internal partners to identify how this work can be incorporated into larger scale initiatives. We are also working on creating a summer cohort of our first participants to share learnings from the process. If you are interested in creating an ADU 2.0, or know someone who is, please join our monthly ADU workshops. More information on signing up is available on the Housing iLab page.
Housing Innovation Competition: Co-Creating Boston’s Future-Decker
This year the Housing Innovation Lab, in partnership with the Boston Society for Architecture, launched the 2nd Housing Innovation Competition: “Co-Creating Boston’s Future-Decker.” The two-phase competition began with the launch of a Request for Ideas (RFI). Residents, architects, developers, and other interested participants were invited to share their ideas for what a middle-scale building, made up of 3–15 units, and a new iteration of the iconic three-decker could bring to current and future Boston residents. The RFI launched at the beginning of the summer and closed on July 30th. The RFI responses are now showcased virtually on the RFI Story Maps page and in-person as a part of the BSA’s Imaginations of Home exhibition.
What was “the question” this project was answering?
How can we reimagine a once deeply affordable building type, the three-decker, to meet the needs of Boston’s residents today and in the future?
What lessons did you learn from this work?
We’ve learned that we must be proactive in how we design housing development processes. Welcoming creative ideas sparks the interest, dedication, and motivation necessary to meet our ambitious housing goals. We also learned that resident voices are central to this work, particularly as we began with a conversation series about what housing and home meant to residents. Many of those residents are now part of the professions responsible for shaping our built environment.
How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?
We will continue to engage with a variety of stakeholders, identify a site, and work towards co-creating a Request for Proposals for the second phase of the competition. We will communicate about future events and programming, and we’d like you to be a part of it!
Boston Public Library Outdoor Wifi Pop-Ups
MONUM supported the launch and expansion of the Boston Public Library (BPL) Outdoor Wi-Fi Zones, which provide free, outdoor Wi-Fi 24 hours a day at 14 locations. In summer 2021, we worked with local design partners CultureHouse, Civic Space Collaborative, and Sasaki to install seating, shade, lighting and cooling facilities at the East Boston, Egleston Square, Codman Square, Brighton, Mattapan, and Grove Hall branches. In November 2021, the Outdoor Wi-Fi Zone program received an AARP Community Challenge Grant to extend the program through Spring 2022. We also installed additional winter workstations at the Roxbury and Hyde Park branches.
These pop-ups furthered the City’s investment in digital equity and expanding access to the Internet for residents of all ages and abilities. We wanted to make it easier to use and enjoy the BPL’s critical free resources, including Wi-Fi, Chromebook rentals, and computer assistance. We also partnered with Climate Ready Boston to equip some of the pop-ups with much-needed shade, cooling areas, and educational resources to combat urban heat during the summer. Finally, recognizing the important role libraries already play in supporting resilience at a neighborhood scale, we partnered with the Office of Food Justice and the Housing Innovation Lab to offer additional access to their resources at BPL pop-up locations.
What was “the question” this project was answering?
- How do the BPL outdoor Wi-Fi zones support residents’ needs, and which elements of these spaces could be adapted or improved in the future?
- How can the project support local community resilience?
- In what ways might these outdoor Wi-Fi zones inform future BPL offerings?
What lessons did you learn from this work?
We learned that the BPL buildings and outdoor spaces, in addition to supporting the needs of residents who learn and work remotely, often function as essential community resource hubs. They provide access to a range of services and amenities to support learning, wellness, and social connection. Libraries are uniquely trusted institutions, and librarians hold deep local wisdom on the issues impacting their patrons. The patrons in turn see libraries as welcoming spaces they can rely on to provide them knowledge and assistance. We also learned that post-pandemic, creating welcoming joyful shared public spaces for communities to gather, rebuild and thrive is more important than ever.
How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?
Stay tuned at your local BPL branch for updates on how to participate in community engagement activities about outdoor spaces. In the meantime, visit the workstations and take advantage of the full range of resources and opportunities that exist at your local BPL!
Housing with Public Assets
Cities in the U.S. and around the world have begun co-developing housing and public assets, combining housing with assets like libraries, municipal lots, and fire stations. Here in Boston the Housing Innovation Lab, in partnership with other departments, has built on this initiative which can bring down costs and benefit communities. Through this process we have a chance to improve core city properties like libraries and fire stations, increase the City’s housing stock — especially its supportive and affordable housing stock — and finally explore alternative uses for city-owned parcels, like parking lots, to increase their public value. In 2021 the BPDA released 2 separate RFPs related to this initiative, asking development teams to propose projects for new libraries and affordable housing to be built in Uphams Corner and Chinatown.
What was “the question” this project was answering?
Could building housing on top of — or next to — City buildings, such as libraries and community centers, benefit our communities?
What lessons did you learn from this work?
We learned that there are a number of legal considerations that have to be worked through in order to facilitate the construction of co-location projects.
How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?
Reach out to us to chat about colocation projects you may have encountered, and if you’ve worked on any of them! You can also attend future Housing with Public Assets community meetings.
The Engagement Center (EC)
After 4 years of collaboration, qualitative research and iteration with Recovery Services (ORS), numerous fellows’ support and a variety of partners, we now have a building designed to support those navigating substance issues and homelessness. We also partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, ORS, and Street Theory to commission five murals from the anonymous artist collective Mz. Icar (exterior) and artist Alex Cook (interior) as part of the city’s transformative public art project. Guests and staff participated in guiding the selection process and ideas for the artwork in the space. This space is responsive to a variety of needs such as programming space, showers, restrooms, staff space and expanded nursing stations.
What was “the question” this project was answering?
- How can we create a welcoming space that can support the core mission of meeting people where they are in their journey with substance use issues?
- Can we translate four years of prototyping, learning and iteration into a building design?
- How do we transition from a pilot project in a tent to a full fledged building?
What lessons did you learn from this work?
We were reminded how valuable it is to create opportunities for learning at the outset and throughout any pilot project. The previous Engagement Center space had come with many limitations that we diligently worked through and designed around. Over the years, through guest and staff engagement, we were able to identify and articulate the most pressing needs and translate that into the design for the new space. Bringing the people who are most impacted by the space into the design process deeply grounded the work. Their involvement was and continues to be a must. An additional learning is that partnerships and collaborations that can focus on the now and the aspirational future can make for exciting learning and prototyping opportunities. Lastly, documentation is crucial but sharing that documentation is a much needed step in reflecting on a project headed toward a major milestone.
How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?
We’re continuing to explore the programming and services we imagine for the space. If you’re interested in collaborating in support of this population, reach out! We’ll also be updating our web presence soon so stay tuned.
What new ways are you tinkering with what you’ve been doing? What should we keep thinking about for the rest of this year? Stay tuned for our next Year in Review post, all about increasing transparency and accountability.
