DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE
WHERE/WHEN APPLICABLE

DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE:
More often than not, the conditions along the periphery of an open space determine its success and the extent to which it draws people in. Open space is likely to go unused when edges are overgrown or trashy, stone walls are crumbling, fencing is rusty or broken, or entrances are unattractive, blocked, or dominated by intimidating vehicular traffic. Likewise good signage, well-designed entrances, well-maintained walls and fences, pedestrian walkways, and bike paths can make a park inviting and well used.

The Heart of the City database provides extensive information about the edges of the major open spaces in the area. Descriptions of the perimeter of the Forest Hills Cemetery, the Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park, and the Boston Nature Center are all available. Other database entries provide detailed information about each of the entrances to Franklin Park and the Arnold Arboretum.

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WHERE/ WHEN APPLICABLE:
Southwest Corridor Park:
Of all the parks in the Heart of the City, the Southwest Corridor Park has perhaps the most accessible and well-managed edges. Attractive stone walls make it clear where the park ends and begins. Roads on either side carry significant traffic without being dangerously busy. People can use lit crosswalks to cross the street and can enter the park at virtually any point along its edge. The park follows a transit line and is therefore part of peoples' everyday journey to work or school. It is well lit. With gardens, tennis courts, bike paths, tot-lots, splash pools, and basketball courts, it offers a range of activities, as well as chunks of grassy open space for impromptu games of catch and soccer.

Franklin Park:
Major roads with heavy traffic form four of the five edges of Franklin Park. Four of the five edges of the park also have high residential density. Forest Hills Cemetery forms the fifth edge. The entire southwest edge of Franklin Park along Morton Street is overgrown and uninviting. The stone perimeter wall is deteriorating in many places along the Morton Street edge and there are no public entrances to the park. The American Legion Highway edge is unattractive and inaccessible south of the Lena Park CDC. However, between Lena Park and the main entrance to the park at Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road, Franklin Park presents a beautiful and accessible face to the neighborhood. North of Columbia Road a zoo fence blocks all access to the park north to Elm Hill Avenue. Along Seaver Street between Elm Hill Avenue and Humboldt Avenue the park is accessible and attractive, with a well-landscaped entrance to the Tiffany Moore playground at Humboldt Avenue. Northwest of Humboldt, the edge of the park is defined by outcroppings of Roxbury Puddingstone. The Forest Hills edge of the park is partially blocked by a high fence, rock, and steep slopes. Signage is limited and some entrances are blocked while others, such as the Parquesita de la Hermanidad and Williams Street entrances, have been redesigned and are attractive and inviting. Much of the original wall along the Forest Hills edge is in excellent condition along the Forest Hills edge. Cemetery Road and the entrance near Shea Circle/ Morton Circle are overgrown and appear forlorn.  

Arnold Arboretum:
The edges of the Arnold Arboretum are defined by a commuter rail one edge, a moderately dense residential area along another edge, and two very sparsely populated residential areas interspersed with institutions along the final two edges. Portions of the southern and northwestern edges of the Arboretum are residential backyards. Despite some fencing, the entire Arborway edge of the Arboretum presents a beautiful, welcoming face to the thousands of people who drive by every day. Signage is clear. Fourteen attractive, usable entrances -- seven of which are formal gates -- define the space. The commuter rail blocks the entire southeast edge of the Arboretum, and one of the two possible routes under the commuter rail is filled with trash. Sections of the stone wall along the South Street edge of the Arboretum are in poor condition, and much of the wall around the Weld/ Walter tract of the Arboretum is in even greater need of repair.

Forest Hills Cemetery:
The edges of Forest Hills Cemetery include one densely populated residential area, Franklin Park, the forlorn Canterbury II urban wild, and two cemeteries. One major vehicular entrance and two minor pedestrian entrances serve the cemetery. A fourth entrance is generally locked.  

Boston Nature Center:
The edges of the Boston Nature Center include two cemeteries, two edges of the largely vacant Boston State Hospital site, one forlorn urban wild, and one low-security prison. While the Massachusetts Audubon Society and its funders have replaced much of the fence surrounding the Boston Nature Center, some parts of the perimeter fence remain broken, rusty, and full of gaps -- particularly along Morton Street. Massachusetts Audubon has also erected bold, attractive signage for the nature center at the edge of Walk Hill Street and American Legion Highway, while signage at the Morton Street entrance remains small and difficult to read.

Jamaica Pond:
Like the Southwest Corridor Park, Jamaica Pond is accessible from most points along the perimeter of the pond. Edges of the park are in excellent condition, and in most places the pathway around the park is insulated from traffic because it is at a lower elevation than surrounding roads.

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