Boston has 168 square feet of green space per resident. Lower than almost every other city in recent studies, including Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, the little green space the City has to spare is often converted into new infrastructure. For instance, the recent renovation of Copley Square eliminated much of the green space and historical significance it offered before, sparking widespread negative reactions. While new construction can bring benefits, it should not come at the cost of preserving historic landmarks and green spaces. It is important to preserve the environment in urban areas.
When new construction takes precedence, community bonds can be ruptured. Historical landmarks connect communities by grounding neighborhoods in their roots, and green spaces provide places for residents to connect with each other. Eliminating them reduces the strength of genuine human connections and the close-knit community in neighborhoods.
Gentrification is an additional challenge that new construction creates for communities. Amara Okwor (I) says, “Gentrification is still a very big issue today. It’s just sort of like a silent bulldozer of communities. […] It often pushes out people with lower incomes [and] big families.”
Gentrification causes property values to rise and often displaces lifelong residents who can no longer afford to stay there. New construction can make room for economic and urban growth, but the risk of high-income residents and developments weakening original communities and cultures is far more detrimental.
There is also a risk of compromising the environment. Green space is important — especially in urban areas — since it can help reduce the urban heat island effect and filter pollutants from the air. The urban heat island effect is a phenomenon where cities are much warmer than their surrounding areas, driving up energy consumption and emissions due to demand for cooling. Green spaces help mitigate these effects by releasing moisture, creating shade and reducing solar radiation.
There has already been so much damage to the environment; an overabundance of new construction at the expense of the climate is partially how the current environmental crisis has grown so severe. Disregarding the environment and leaving problems for future generations to solve has failed then and will fail now.
Omitting green space also creates a less pleasant urban experience for residents. Thao Nguyen (III), using the Copley Square renovation as an example, says, “Some big problems that arise are the big lack of trees, permeable surfaces, welcoming space and an increase in temperature […] the material usage and design of the rest area itself fails to provide any cool shade or resting space.”
Some argue that new construction is a positive force for change, adapting the city to the needs of its people and creating affordable housing. Affordable housing is extremely important, but it should not come at the expense of historic architecture and green space. Architects can instead incorporate green space into their designs and renovate historic buildings rather than tearing them down.
Katelyn Le (I), who did a capstone project on designing architecture for the sake of the community, elaborates, saying, “Unused buildings like offices and schools and even churches can be turned into affordable housing. Churches in the South End have been turned into housing by maintaining the existing facade of the church and renovating within so that you preserve part of the historical elements. These areas just need rezoning to become housing, and through this, greenery can be implemented vertically.”
Green space and historical buildings help maintain a higher quality of life for residents. One of the reasons residents appreciate historic sights is because they help people stay connected to the past. Eliminating historical neighborhoods would destroy the stories left behind by past inhabitants. Boston Latin School AP U.S. History teacher Mr. Dominic Rinaldi highlights, “Preservation [of historic buildings] is important because you can’t understand where you are now if you don’t know where you came from.”
Boston is a constantly evolving city that must meet the needs of its residents. Those needs, however, should not tarnish Boston’s history, as Boston derives its uniqueness partially from its complex, rich past. New construction should not erase high quality of life. Change is often emphasized, but there remains an immense value in preservation and repurposing rather than starting anew.