Activating Columbia Road: Reframing a Missing Link

Upham’s Corner
The following strategies for the Upham’s Corner station
area are outlined in the Fairmount Indigo Plan:
“A strong mixed-use center and Corridor-wide arts and
culture destination. Strengthen Dudley Street connections
to the station, Main Streets, and the Strand Theatre.”
1. Future Strategy for Prosperity:
Invest in training and education, strengthen main
street activities, create catalyst investments.
2. Future Strategy for Home
(station gateway/main district):
Create transit oriented housing, grow infill
opportunities, encourage mixed-use main streets.
3. Future Strategy for Place:
Reinforce active storefronts, reinforce culture, art
and history, focus on the main street districts, reorient
activity to the station, build places around food.
4. Future Strategy for Getting Around:
Improve walkability and public realm, integrate bus
and shuttle connections, manage parking.
5. Future Strategy for Parks/Public Space
(Hannon playground):
Leverage vacant conversions, create station plazas,
expand community gardens.
6. Future Strategy for Quality of Life:
Build neighborhood safety and community, enhance
neighborhood health, add core amenities and
service, strengthen connections to institutions, and
highlight corridor diversity.
Four Corners / Geneva Ave
The following strategies for Four Corners/Geneva station
area are outlined in the Fairmount Indigo Plan:
“Residential neighborhood with a vibrant Main Street
center. Focus is new housing and neighborhood-serving
amenity at the Washington Street gateway.”
1. Future Strategy for Prosperity:
Invest in training and education, strengthen main
street activities, create catalyst investments.
2. Future Strategy for Home
(station gateway/main district):
Create transit oriented housing, grow infill
opportunities, encourage mixed-use main streets.
3. Future Strategy for Place:
Reinforce active storefronts, focus on the main street
districts, build places around food.
4. Future Strategy for Getting Around:
Improve walkability and public Realm, integrate bus
and shuttle connections, manage parking.
5. Future Strategy for Parks/Public Space (Franklin Park):
Connect open space networks, create station
plazas, expand community gardens.
6. Future Strategy for Quality of Life:
Build neighborhood safety and community, enhance
neighborhood health, add core amenities and
service, strengthen connections to Institutions, and
highlight corridor diversity.
The Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative identified
Upham’s Corner to be studied in further detail in a
separate planning study, “Upham’s Corner Station
Area Plan”. 7
As of 2019, the City is planning a mixed-use center
and corridor-wide arts and culture destination
through the Upham’s Corner Implementation pilot
project. This is a unique partnership between the
City of Boston, BPDA, DSNI, and the Upham’s
Corner community. Ten year growth capacities
were identified for Upham’s Corner, which is an
arts and cultural anchor neighborhood of the
Fairmount Indigo Corridor. One of the community
goals is to reinforce a walkable neighborhood
orientation through public realm and open space
improvements. 8
7 Boston Redevelopment Authority, “Fairmount Indigo Planning
Initiative: Upham’s Corner Station Area Plan.”
8 Boston Planning & Development Agency, “Upham’s Corner
Implementation, Community Planning - Strategic Plans.”
The Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative identified
the Four Corners/Geneva Ave station area to be
studied in further detail in a separate planning
study, “Four Corners/Geneva Ave Station Area
Plan”. 9
Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative
While our team was unable to interview anyone
directly involved with the Corridor Plan, we spoke
with several people involved in the Fairmount Indigo
CDC Collaborative and other corridor planning
efforts, such as the Fairmount Cultural Corridor. The
Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative is an alliance
of three community development corporations,
Dorchester Bay Economic Development
Corporation, Codman Square Neighborhood
Development Corporation, and Southwest Boston
Community Development Corporation, all working
to strengthen vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods
united by the Fairmount Indigo Line. 10
9 Boston Redevelopment Authority, “Fairmount Corridor Planning
Initiative: Four Corners/Geneva Avenue Station Area Plan.”
10 Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative, “Home.”
64 Activating Columbia Road: Reframing a Missing Link