back bay boston urban study

Photograph of Back Bay

Back Bay, Boston, MA

Philip Greenspun

1/2mi. 1mi. 2mi.0mi.

15mi. 30mi. 60mi.0mi.

150mi. 300mi. 600mi.0mi.

Google Maps

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400’ 800’ 1600’0’

400’ 800’ 1600’0’

Wikipedia; Google Maps

Back Bay History

- Originally a literal bay.-Boston + Roxbury Mill Corp produced a milldam which resulted in complete failure.-Infill land after failure.-1882: Infill complete; gravel transported by Gross + Munson GMI Railroad.-Plan of Back Bay influenced by Haussman’s renovation of Paris.

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Boston Area Forest Cover Map660’ 1320’ 2640’0’

Dr. Wangari Maathai, Urban Ecology Institute Urban Tree Canopy Assessment

4

Arling

ton St.

Berkeley St.

Emb

ank

men

t Rd

.

St. James Av.

Warren Av.

Chandler St

Lawrence St

Appleton St

W C

anto

n St

Stuart St.

Newbury St.

Cla

rendon St.

Columbus

Av.

Da

rtmouth St.

Commonwealth Avenue

Exeter St.

Beacon St.

Marlborough St.

Commonwealth Avenue

Huntin

gton

Av.

Braddock Park

Holyoke St

St B

otolp

h St

Harcourt St

Boylston St.

Hereford

St.

Storrow Drive

Gloucester St.

Fairfield

St.

Norway St

Ma

ssachusetts A

v.

Hem

enw

ay

St

Burbank St

Westland Av

Edg

erly Rd

Belvidere St.

CopleySquare

Commonwealth Avenue Mall

PublicGarden

Charles River Esplanade

Sout

hwest

Corri

dor Park

Christian SciencePlaza

SymphonyCommunity

Park

Fenway CommunityHealth Center

HynesConvention Center

Institute for Contemporary Art

PrudentialTower

HiltonHotel

Berklee Collegeof Music

St. Cecilia'sChurch 111 Huntington

AvenueSheraton

Hotel Tent CityApartments

NewburyCollege

BostonArchitectural

Center

MassachusettsCommunications

CollegeLord & Taylor

BurdettSchool

KingsleyMontessori

School

Copley PlazaHotel

John HancockTower

TrinityChurch

SnowdenHigh School

Old SouthChurch

Arlington StreetChurch

Churchof the Covenant

First BaptistChurch

CommonwealthDay SchoolNewman

PreparatorySchool

Boston Centerfor Adult Education

First LutheranChurch

EmmanuelChurch

FisherCollege

The Mother Church,The First Church of Christ, Scientist

McKinley/Mackey School

District D-4 Police Station

Boston Centerfor the Arts

EmersonCollege

HatchShell

Churchof the Advent

Hynes ConventionCenter/ICA

Back Bay/South End

Copley

Arlington

Prudential

Boston Public Library

500 Bolyston Street

New England Financial

Westin Hotel

Copley Place

Prudential Center

Back Bay

feet

Street and Building Names150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

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Boston Public Garden

Trinity Chruch John Hancock TowerWikipedia; the Dirty Roofer; Open Buildings; Google Maps

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Boston Public Library Prudential CenterExplore Boston; Andrew Collins; Velocity Press; Google Maps

Charles RiverKey Map

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Figure Ground150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

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RURALZONE

N A T U R A LZ O N E

SUB-U R B A NZ O N E

URBA N CENTER Z O N E

URBA N CORE Z O N ET4 T5 T6G ENERA L

URBAN Z O N ET3 SD S P E C I ALDISTRICTT2T1

R U R A L I I I I I I I I I I T R A N S E C T I I I I I I I I I I U R B A N

Transect Map150’ 300’ 600’0’

DPZ Lexicon Transect Diagram; Google Maps

9

1-3 Family Residenrial Use150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

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Apartment Residential Use150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

11

Mixed Use150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

12

Institutional Use150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

13

Commercial Use150’ 300’ 600’0’

Presidential Properties Zoning and Use Map; Google Maps

14

Open Space150’ 300’ 600’0’

Google Maps

15

MTBA Subway T Lines150’ 300’ 600’0’

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Google Maps

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MTBA Bus T Lines150’ 300’ 600’0’

Google Maps

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1/4 m

ile 1/2 mile

1/4 m

ile 1/2 mile

1/4 m

ile 1/2 mile

1/4 m

ile 1/2 mile

1/4 m

ileMTBA T Stops150’ 300’ 600’0’

Google Maps

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Street Network150’ 300’ 600’0’

Alleys/Small Streets

Small Streets

Main Streets

Below Ground Highway

Google Maps

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Google Maps

Elongated Block Structure37’ 74’ 148’0’

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Commonwealth Avenue

Typical Alley

Beacon Street

Google Maps

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Beacon Street Frontage Beacon Street Section Proportions

Landscape

Building

Beacon Street Section

12’-0” 12’-0” 4’-0” 4’-0”12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0”

60’-0”

Google Maps

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Darmouth + Beacon Alley Street Frontage

Alley Section Proportions

Building

Darmouth + Beacon Alley Street Section

25’-0” 25’-0”10’-0”

60’-0”

Google Maps

23

Commonwealth Avenue Street Section

20’-0” 20’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 36’-0”

50’-0”

Beacon Street Frontage

Google Maps

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12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 12’-0” 20’-0” 20’-0”36’-0”

Commonwealth Avenue Section Proportions

Landscape

Building

Google Maps

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26

Google Images

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Carlo J Guzman De JesusARC 583 Urbanism Research Project

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

Back Bay, Boston, MA, USASpring 2012