5.9 Beautiful Walkable Communities

Boston is a beautiful, walkable city.  Its charming parks, historic buildings and monuments, residential architecture, public buildings, streets, squares and gardens are valued by residents and visitors alike.  The City’s aesthetic quality is the result of planning, maintenance, stewardship and vigilance.  When public spaces are attractive and in good condition—for all residents in all neighborhoods—people feel safer, have more civic pride, invest in their communities, get more exercise, and focus their attention on other civic concerns while enjoying a high quality of life.

The liveliness and safety of Boston’s streets depends on how well the built environment, street life and open spaces are integrated.  The design of sidewalks, squares and pocket parks, with trees for shade and flowers for color, and installation of public art, benches, and other amenities, as well as outdoor markets, all contribute to the pleasures of urban living.