Boston Project Center [2007]

The following projects will be conducted at the Boston Project Center from March 11 to April 28, 2007:

1. Evaluation of the South Boston Parking Freeze (City of Boston, Environment Dept.)

The goal of this project is to develop a sustainable method to maintain the information regarding the South Boston Parking Freeze, which is a cap on the number of parking spaces available in that area, aimed at reducing air pollution. The students will revisit the parking facilities in SB and update the pre-existing inventory using an online tool being developed on the LOUIS platform at City Lab. The team will then analyze the permit application and renewal process to determine how the information could be “farmed in” every year to monitor the progress of the freeze and to satisfy mandatory reporting requirements. Re-utilizations of the Parking data will also be explored, in other maintenance, management and planning contexts within the Boston municipal government.

2. Noise Data Farming (City of Boston, Environment Dept.)

The goal of this project is to develop a sustainable method to maintain the information regarding Noise Levels in Boston up-to-date as efficiently and accurately as possible. The team will collect exiting data and conduct field measurements to create the first self-sustainable Noise Map of the City. Interesting issues to consider are: (1) how to visualize noise on GIS; (2) what data sources to tap into to acquire updated noise information; (3) what mechanisms (institutional/regulatory/technical) will need to be in place to capture new noise data as it is collected though a variety of government processes such as: EIA/EIS (Environmental Impact Assessments/Statements), Municipal/State/Federal monitoring campaigns, consultant reports, automatic data collection devices, etc. The goal is to “mashup” the data so the various pieces of the “noise puzzle” can be constantly visualized on web-based GIS maps in a sustainable manner.

3. Water Access and Water Use in Boston Harbor (City of Boston, Environment Dept., Boston Waterways Board)

The goal of this project is to bring together all available information regarding water access and various uses of the water in ad around Boston Harbor. Existing data (from Urban Harbors Institute and others) will be validated and integrated with field inventories along the water’s edge, focusing on water uses (section 10A of Ch. 91) as: marinas, docks, moorings, boat ramps, etc. The team will assess the level of use in various parts of the harbor and suggest ways to mitigate use where it appears to be excessive, and to promote increased use where it is lacking. The goal, once again, is to identify sustainable practices that will enable the Boston Water Board to reliably update the information, by intercepting permit applications, licenses and other administrative data that affects water access and water use.

4. Marine Development and Land Use along Boston Harbor (City of Boston, Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).)

This project is in some ways the mirror image of project #3, since it is focused on what happens on the “land side” of the harbor. This team will collate existing information (from the Boston Harbor Association and others)and then integrate such data with field surveys along the water’s edge. The goal in this case is to analyze the land uses and business activities that take place along the shore, with a particular focus on the so-called “harbor walk” (signage, maintenance, complaints, etc.). The students will investigate Chapter 91 licenses and how to keep them up-to-date over an online map-based system. Likewise, the students will look at ways to reliably and sustainably track Conservation Commission’s conditions that apply to various properties along the harbor with the goal of providing Boston citizens’ with the best possible waterfront experience, while fostering appropriate marine commercial enterprises along the water.

5. Monitoring Vegetation Health with Picturepost and NASA Satellites (Museum of Science, Boston)

The goal of this project is to contribute to the "Measuring Vegetation Health" project (http://mvh.sr.unh.edu), in particular, working with how to use the PicturePost images (http://picturepost.smugmug.com) to study plant behavior and landscape change. Building on what was accomplished last year with John Pickle, there are five aspects that are within the scope of the project: (1) Analyzing picture post images and evaluating the software that is used to process the images; (2) Creating a central repository for picture post if the funding can be secured; (3) Connecting picture post stations in Fresh Pond, Menotomy Rocks Alewife corridor-Cambridge and Arlington to local municipal departments by working with local administrators to establish a use for the picture posts as environmental monitors; (4) Develop tutorials aimed at school teachers that will help them to adapt picture post as well as other components of MVH to their classrooms; (5) Explore the relationship between satellite images, pictures from picture post and GIS; establish an interface between mapping and images to create a spectral, spatial and temporal picture of the Alewife Brook corridor.

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