PLAN: Newmarket
Utile worked with the Boston Planning and Development Agency to design a progressive visioning plan for Boston’s Newmarket district. Newmarket is a vital component of Boston’s industrial infrastructure, with potential to increase economic output for the region and have a dynamic, well-connected public realm. PLAN: Newmarket has the following objectives to transform the industrial district: to balance the retention of traditional industrial jobs with creative emerging uses, promote multimodal transportation that encourages the safe flow of freight, transit, and active mobility, and to develop clear strategies for climate resilience.
Throughout the project, Utile worked alongside key collaborators to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve these goals. The process began with in-depth analysis of the existing land use and zoning in Newmarket, as well as mobility analysis spanning all scales of transportation from pedestrian to freight. Building upon this analysis, proposed land use scenarios and taxonomies were synthesized to maximize economic growth and industrial character, with new mobility patterns and hierarchies designed to promote safety, efficiency, and a more pleasant public realm.
Additionally, environmental interventions such as improved stormwater management and street plantings were implemented to counteract the threats of sea level rise and urban heat island effect, which is particularly relevant in this highly paved and industrialized area.
New building prototypes emerged as responses to the proposed land use scenario planning, resulting in a variety of mixed use building types that promote growth of emerging industries, while respecting Newmarket’s existing industrial economy. All of these features combined inform the final planning and policy recommendations to be implemented in the neighborhood.
PLAN: Newmarket was approved by the BPDA Board in August of 2023.