Special to the Times-Free Press
This month, volunteers from across the Boston area joined the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront — an alliance of more than 50 organizations throughout Boston focused on access, inclusivity, resilience, and economic vitality on Boston’s harbor, islands, and rivers — for the first ever Love your Waterfront Day of Service. Dozens of community members joined Coalition partner organizations at Moakley Park, City Natives, Nightingale Community Garden, and sites along the Neponset River to clean up local parks, and support the essential role they play in promoting community wellness and public health. The day of service was held in tandem with the City of Boston’s Love Your Block Initiative.
“Boston’s open spaces and waterfront parks are some of the city’s greatest public resources that can support the health, resilience and vitality of every neighborhood,” said Anthony Davis, Programming Advisor of the Coalition. “The Love Your Waterfront Day of Service was an opportunity to celebrate these valuable spaces, and support a more resilient, accessible, and inclusive future for our city’s parks.”
The Day of Service followed a Waterfront Summit which was hosted by the Coalition at Roxbury Community College as part of City Awake’s Fierce Urgency of Now Festival. The Summit featured discussions with community leaders, experts, and advocates exploring the connection between public health, resilience, and inclusivity on Boston’s waterfront, and how the city can shape public spaces that benefit and engage all communities. Latifa Ziyad, Director of Community Building and Environment from East Boston nonprofit Neighborhood of Affordable Housing Inc., moderated a panel focused on building a more resilient waterfront, and highlighted the importance of considering the unique perspectives and circumstances of all neighborhoods as the city prepares for the impacts of climate change.
“Influenced by climate change and powered by the ocean, every one of Boston’s communities, whether directly on the waterfront like East Boston, or further inland, will be impacted by the extreme heat, severe storms, and increased flooding,” said Ziyad. “We must act urgently and be intentional as stewards of our waterfront parks and open spaces. We can each and perhaps more importantly, collectively play critical roles in building and maintaining resilient and sustainable neighborhoods.”
The conversations that took place during the Summit can be viewed here. To learn more about the Coalition’s work, please visit bostonwaterfrontcoalition.org.
The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront is an alliance of diverse non-profit organizations focused on elevating the pressing issues facing Boston’s harbor, islands and rivers. Through community engagement and by serving as a convener of local events and forums, Coalition will work to advance a bold vision for the future of the city’s waterfront that prioritizes resilience, inclusivity, access, and economic vitality.