Peabody Square Going Green

Peabody Square in Dorchester, with its pavement-covered landscape and almost constant tangle of buses, cars, trains and pedestrians, is about as far from nature as it gets. But city officials plan, over the next few years, to transform this patch of Dorchester into a model for environmentally-sensitive urban planning.

Reconstruction of the square, and a subsequent reconfiguration of the traffic pattern, would involve installing permeable sidewalks, planting additional trees and creating wide pits to help trees absorb rainwater. The main purpose of these measures is to reduce the flow of storm water runoff, which can overtax local drainage and sewage systems and pollute the nearby Neponset River and Boston Harbor.

"The city is really looking at ways to be more innovative and environmentally sensitive," said James W. Hunt III, Boston's chief of environment and energy. "This is a municipal project that is on the forefront of the sustainability and environmental agenda."

Now in the design phase, the Peabody Square drainage measures will be funded with a $25,000 state environmental grant. Construction costs have not yet been determined, but the city's long-range square and Dorchester Avenue reconstruction plans will include these figures.

According to Hunt, the administration of Mayor Thomas M. Menino hopes this project can serve as a model for future city street and sidewalk projects. "It's a great place for a demonstration project because of the proximity to the MBTA station and the high volume of foot traffic," said Hunt.

The city has hired the Charles River Watershed Association to design the storm water measures. "It is definitely one of the most challenging projects in terms of existing conditions," said Pallavi Mande, an urban restoration specialist for the association. "If it works there, it can work anywhere."

Permeable pavement and tree pit design, ideal for urban environments, have already but implemented in a number of United States cities, including Seattle and Portland, Ore. Such measures, however, are rare in the Northeast. The city hopes to finish design of the Peabody Square project next spring and begin construction later in the year.

Source: The Boston Globe