Boston has been planning ahead, and if you’re one of the nearly 15,000 residents who added their voice and ideas to Imagine Boston 2030, you know how encompassing all that forethought has been.
After two years of work, the city is ready to unveil the final version of the first citywide plan in 50 years. Mayor Marty Walsh will join other city officials and community organizations to release the plan at an interactive showcase on Tuesday, July 11 from 3 to 8 p.m. at 555 Columbia Rd in Uphams Corner.
“With the help of all the residents who offered their feedback, Imagine Boston sets a course for the future, guides our growth and builds on our existing strengths,” Walsh said in an email. “I invite residents from all corners of our City to join us on Tuesday as we celebrate this important milestone in our City’s history.”
Natalia Urtubey, director of engagement for Imagine Boston 2030, explained that this final draft builds on previous versions residents may be familiar with, and ties together all the aspects needed for such an effort.
“This final draft is really the culmination of everything, including how are going to be held accountable, how to measure success and how to move toward implementation,” she said.
Tuesday’s event is intended to be a “celebration” of all that work. Tied up in Imagine Boston 2030 are other more specific city efforts, like Go Boston 2030, Climate Ready Boston, Boston Creates and the Boston Resiliency Plan, all of which will be showcased at the event.
The event will be both indoors and outdoors, with the inside portion serving as an “interactive display” of Imagine Boston 2030 and the other planning efforts. Here, residents have yet another opportunity to leave a testimony about the experience.
The true celebration will be outdoors and include local musicians, food trucks, a beer garden hosted by Upham’s Corner Main Street and Dorchester Brewing, local vendors, the Imagination Playground and more.
“The event itself is really a way to activate the entire Upham’s Corner neighborhood,” Urtubey said. “To invite folks who’ve maybe never been there and folks from there to get to know neighborhood in a different way.”
The revitalization of Upham’s Corner is a central part of the Imagine Boston 2030 plan, and also an area that encompases many of the separate elements of the plan — from neighborhood enhancement to increasing open space to thinking about providing better access to Boston’s waterfront.
Hosting the event there is a way to also showcase those bullet points of the plan, Urtubey said.
“All of the different major pieces of this document really intersect in some way with Upham’s Corner,” she said. “Upham’s Corner as a pilot model really [shows] what the rest of the city look like in the future. It’s showcasing how the document comes to life.”
Imagine Boston 2030 Citywide Plan Launch, Tuesday July 11 (Rain date July 18) from 3 to 8 p.m., 555 Columbia Road, Uphams Corner, 02125.
