PLAN Mattapan

Location: Boston, MA
Status: 2019-2023
Client: Boston Planning & Development Agency
Collaborators: MASS Design Group, Supernormal, Toole Design Group
Impact Areas: Equitable Decision-Making Strategies, Spaces and Places of Belonging

Mattapan is a historic residential neighborhood at the southernmost edge of Boston. As a 95% Black neighborhood, Mattapan has a wealth of community assets and creativity, but has also faced years of relative public disinvestment compared to other areas of Boston.

Grayscale and the consultant team, led by MASS Design, partnered with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) to create a comprehensive vision to guide the future of the neighborhood. Grayscale led the management and creation of a series of interactive public workshops, designing meetings as two-way conversations between city and community; workshops were focused on establishing shared dialogue, knowledge exchange, and community activation.

The team, guided by the three principles of "preserve, enhance, and grow," worked closely with community members to review past planning efforts and identify needs and opportunities for future equitable growth and development. Topics included economic development, transit-oriented housing, and preservation of neighborhood character and culture.

The community's vision for the plan was to strengthen the existing cultural fabric through affordable housing support, small business technical and financial assistance, and enhancing physical connections to social gathering spaces and access to job centers.