The Creation of a Neighborhood: Boston’s Seaport

By Michael Hoban In January 2010, as New England was beginning to emerge from the Great Recession, Thomas Menino, then mayor of Boston, launched an initiative dubbed “the Boston Waterfront Innovation District.” The plan was to take approximately 1,000 acres (400 ha) of underdeveloped land on South Boston’s waterfront and create a “work/live/play” environment designed…