Expanding recreation opportunities on a university campus

Northeastern University William E. Carter Playground

Universities may have been cloistered institutions centuries ago, but now they are vibrant members of, and partners in, the communities where they reside. Our team was engaged by Northeastern University (NU) to act as the prime consultant for a public-private partnership to expand the program of an existing Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) park to better serve NU and the local residential community. 

With the University’s proposal to add an adjacent parcel of land to an existing park, came the possibility to redevelop and renew the park’s amenities. Upgrades included two multipurpose synthetic turf fields designed to accommodate football, soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, rugby, and other local intermural sports. An air-supported structure that can be seasonally erected over one of the multipurpose fields will enable year-round sports recreation. The design also includes multi-modal streetscape improvements along with five new tennis courts, a corner parklet, a playground, a splash pad, and a fully accessible climbing structure.

Not only a part of the community, the park is also a part of the University’s broader commitment to sustainability. The project was designed in accordance with the Sustainable SITES initiative, becoming SITES Certified in 2021. Green infrastructure improvements include a rainwater cistern for irrigation and a comprehensive drainage infrastructure system that provides optimal growing conditions for the park’s sheltering shade trees.