Franklin Park Action Plan

For over a century, Franklin Park has been a lively and beloved center of recreation, gathering, and discovery for the Boston community. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of the Emerald Necklace, Franklin Park remains Boston’s largest park at over 500 acres.

In 2019, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department engaged Reed Hilderbrand, in partnership with Agency Landscape + Planning and MASS Design Group, to lead a team of 14 consultants in the creation of the Franklin Park Action Plan. This is the first comprehensive plan in nearly 30 years.

The recommendations of the Action Plan are the result of years of research and consultation with the community and park stakeholders, and are built upon a united understanding that Franklin Park is a landmark American public space — a landscape of cultural, social, and ecological significance.

The resulting recommendations advocate for thoughtfully guided, community-driven improvements that are grounded in a deep understanding of the park’s historic fabric and ecological systems and implemented through continued, dedicated investment so that the park can do what it does now, only better. The Action Plan debuts on December 13, 2022.