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Day Square Placemaking

Four teens sit at a picnic table under a tan shade structure on a green ground mural

July–August 2024
Day Square, East Boston, MA

Day Square is currently undergoing a planning process to reconfigure the plaza area as a community space and re-orient the location of the MBTA bus stop. East Boston is a priority area in the Boston Heat Plan as a neighborhood that is particularly impacted by extreme heat.

In the middle of a parking lot, people construct metal structures while a green mural is being put down.
A person stands painting the edge of a parking lot light green
A completed green checkered mural sits with picnic tables, chairs, and a ping pong table. The metal frames of a shade structure are installed above.
Picnic tables sit underneath a tan shade structure.
A hammock chair sits next to picnic tables underneath a tan shade structure.

CultureHouse, Architecture for Public Benefit, and Youth Build Boston collaborated with the Mayor’s Office of New Urbans Mechanics and Boston Transportation Department to explore opportunities for cooling public rights-of-way through shade and placemaking. Our collaborative team of design/build contractors and community organizations created a temporary plaza and interim activation of Day Square from mid-July through mid-September.

Birds eye drawing of Day Square laying out the checkered green mural.

This temporary plaza intended to provide shade and seating to help community members to stay cool on hot days. Additionally, the space served as a platform for seasonal programming and continued community engagement on the plaza’s future permanent design.

Partners