Library Park

In collaboration with Allston neighbors, Harvard will design and create a new 1.74-acre neighborhood park behind the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library on North Harvard Street in Allston. The current vacant lot, once home to a concrete plant, will be transformed into a tree-filled oasis. The park will be completed in 2011.

The preliminary design by the award-winning landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. incorporates residents’ aspirations and reflects the community’s desire to create a unique park. The public park will include space for reading and programming, such as storytelling and learning about nature, making the space an outdoor extension of the library itself. The design maximizies the available space, relocates the existing parking lot and is designed for sustainability, from plant choices to water management.

Library Park Planning Kick-Off Events

In the Spring of 2008, Harvard hosted a community-wide picnic with Allston neighbors and representatives of the City of Boston to begin the planning process for Library Park. Over 500 people attended the kick-off planning events to share their thoughts and ideas about the planning and design for the new neighborhood park.

Allston residents discussed concepts for the park with Harvard planners and landscape architects and designers from Copley Wolf Design Group and ICON Architecture. Boards displayed information on comparable park sizes and sustainable parks and attendees shared their comments on potential park uses and ideas for the park character and theme.