Abstract: The Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, a cornerstone of South Boston’s waterfront, has evolved from its historical roots as a bustling military complex to an important marine industrial hub and jobs center for the city with a focal point for urban resilience. This paper traces the park’s transformation, emphasizing the City of Boston and the Boston Planning and Development Authority’s (BPDA) proactive measures to fortify the area against the escalating threats of coastal resiliency and sea level rise.
The park’s history is deeply intertwined with South Boston’s maritime legacy, originating as a strategic site for the South Boston Naval Annex and Army Base. Today, it stands as a testament to adaptive reuse, where past and present converge to shape a resilient future. The City redeveloped the Marine Park after the miliary left to include the Cruise Terminal and the Boston Design Center. In addition, the area of four piers was filled as part of the change in use in the early 1980’s. The City of Boston’s commitment to safeguarding its coastal zones is evident in its comprehensive strategies developed through Climate Ready Boston, which include bolstering natural habitats, enhancing green infrastructure, and implementing living shorelines to mitigate erosion and flooding, which becomes more challenging when intertwined with the need for an active marine use.
Central to these efforts is an engineering team dedicated to reimagining resilience. By synthesizing historical data and contemporary studies, the team devises innovative construction methods that reinforce the park’s infrastructure. Community, tenant, and business owner engagement is pivotal, ensuring that the Marine Park’s evolution aligns with the needs and aspirations of those it serves.
The challenges are manifold, encompassing the integration of diverse facilities such as buildings, marine bulk goods, cruise and ferry terminals, ship repair facilities, parks, emergency response buildings, and docks. These elements necessitate immediate and future access to water, complicating the design and implementation of resilience measures.
In response, the paper introduces a multi-tiered approach to structural adaptation. This innovative concept allows for the elevation of new and existing foundations in response to long-term climate-induced changes. The approach is applied to various coastal structures, including bulkheads, riprap revetments, drydock gates, park berms, gangways to floats, and seawalls, each tailored to withstand the test of time and tide.
A critical aspect of this strategy is its integration into the cityscape. The design philosophy prioritizes harmony with the urban fabric, ensuring that resilience measures not only protect but also enhance the aesthetic and functional qualities of the waterfront. This alignment of form and function exemplifies a forward-thinking approach, where resilience becomes an intrinsic, yet unobtrusive, feature of the landscape.
The Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park serves as a model for coastal urban and industrial resilience within an active Marine Industrial zone, demonstrating how historical sites can be re-envisioned to meet the challenges of a changing climate. Through collaborative efforts, innovative design, and a commitment to community, Boston lays the groundwork for a resilient, vibrant, and sustainable future along its shoreline.
How does this project / topic contribute to the advancement of the industry and profession?: This project is a leading example of how more frequent and greater storms are effecting Cities. This example show how various different strategies can be combined at a district level scale in an urban area that actively supports a cruise terminal, bulk goods terminal, ship building, and various other marine based tenants.
Does the project / topic implement new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods?: Yes, it looks at new solutions at is district scale. This includes raising or flood proofing buildings, installing berms, flood gates, and floodwalls, as well as increasing the protection to an active drydock. It’s the first time the City of Boston has tried to provide an actual designed solution on this scale.
What was the most challenging aspect of your project / topic and how did you handle it to ensure success?: The large area of the project provided the most difficulties. This involved outreach to various marine tenants as well as City and State stakeholders, all who had very different needs and requirements. With an area that is a active working waterfront with constant ship to shore activities, we provided solutions that worked with current operations but would also enable the resiliency measures to increase in response to increased future flooding and storms while still meeting those operational requirements.
Who is the target audience for this paper?: State, City, and Town Planners and Engineers, Consultant Engineers, Resiliency Professionals, and Owners interested in resilient solutions to large district wide urban environments with an active working waterfront.
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