Envisioning a revitalized Herter Park as a vibrant, sustainable, and accessible open space with rich recreational and cultural offerings, the just-published Herter Park Master Plan sums up a 2-year collaboration between the Massachusetts DCR and the Halvorson | Tighe & Bond team. Shaped by a robust public process, the master plan outlines far-reaching improvements to the largest and most programmed open space in the Charles River Reservation.
The improvements include a reconfigured park arrival and road diet to the adjacent Soldiers Field Road, pedestrian and multi-modal access to the park; rehabilitation of the mid-century architectural gem – the Herter Center; upgrades to the outdoor amphitheater, improved high-use event and picnic lawns, comprehensive stormwater management and vegetation management plans, and other measures towards a more climate-resilient park. Our recommended user experience enhancements include new picnic areas, fishing and watercraft docks, riverview terraces, coordinated signage and wayfinding plan, and historic interpretation exhibits.
