New opportunities for Boston's Chinatown : turnpike air rights

Abstract

Boston's Chinatown is a regional business, cultural and service center to the Asian community in greater Boston area. However, it is confronting serious problems at this moment. These problems can be classified as three aspects: housing, connection and amenity. The shrinking of the territory and the dramatic increase in population has resulted in a high demand for affordable housing. Highway and urban renewal projects isolate Chinatown from its vicinity. For a long period of time, the Chinatown community and the neighborhoods nearby are lack of green space, service and cultural facilities. The proposed Turnpike Air Rights new development is a great challenge as well as a good opportunity for Chinatown. In this thesis, the research and design of the gateway site of Turnpike Air Rights (Parcel 20-23) is aimed to explore the solutions to the these problems. The mixed uses community-oriented planning and urban design shows the new face of the south edge of Chinatown by providing mixed-income housing, green spaces and civic plaza, community service, and good connections with its vicinity.