Mayor Walsh Launches City Hall Porch

BOSTON - Thursday, July 7, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the opening of the new "City Hall Porch," an area accessible through the 3rd-floor mezzanine of City Hall. The launch of the City Hall Porch is another project designed to encourage Boston residents and visitors to enliven City Hall and the Plaza. City Hall Porch will remain open to the public throughout the summer during lunch hours, Monday - Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Porch builds off City Hall Plaza's front lawn, which was launched earlier this summer and features astroturf grass and lawn games on the steps of City Hall Plaza.

"Opening the City Hall Porch for the summer is a simple and creative way to make City Hall more inviting for residents and visitors," said Mayor Walsh. "Everyone is welcome on the Porch, whether it is to socialize with friends or to relax in the summer sun. The opening of the space is just one more step towards making our most prominent civic space in Boston more resourceful and welcoming for all who visit."

The Porch opened yesterday during the awards ceremony for the Public Space Invitational, and features four sets of the City's parklets - seasonal patios designed for public spaces - that provide comfortable seating for the city's residents and visitors.

The parklets featured on the Porch will eventually be dispatched to neighborhoods throughout Boston to provide centrally located places in busy urban locations for people to sit and socialize in an attractive, well maintained outdoor living space.  

The parklets were installed as part of a pilot program led by the Boston Transportation Department in Allston/Brighton two summers ago, when the City partnered with local businesses to provide day-to-day maintenance of the parklets. The parklets are made of durable plastic, and can easily be transferred between locations in the city. As a concept, parklets provide a fresh interest in the surrounding area by attracting people to Main Streets Districts, enlivening local streets, and generating business activity.    

About the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics

The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics serves as the City's innovation incubator, building partnerships between internal agencies and outside entrepreneurs to pilot projects that address resident needs. Their streetscape work spans ways to make the transportation experience better for users, through products like the ParkBoston app, to providing ways for local designers to make public space more intuitive and delightful with the Public Space Invitational.