
Nature Based
Explore
Pier 5 is the last public waterfront access
on Boston’s HarborWalk
Imagine
The “Imagine Boston 2030″ program defines the need for waterfront public access with connected open space described by Richard McGuinness, Deputy Director for Climate Change and Environmental Planning at the Boston Planning & Development Agency to be:
An activated waterfront is anchored by varied types of open spaces, featuring cultural resources and year-round programming and connecting people with the natural, cultural, and economic history of the region.
Pier 5 is the only fully open Harbor Walk location with
unobstructed view sheds including the Charles, Mystic Rivers, City Skyline, and entire harbor all the way to the Harbor Islands.
Together, we are changing Boston’s public space for generations to come.
The Boston Charlestown Navy Yard and its public waterfront landmarks are Monumental, Historic. Let’s save this public space for future generations to have access to the waterfront benefiting the local habitat, residents and visitors.
Goals by urging our governmental representatives and agencies to provide financial resources to achieve an outcome beneficial to all. We ask for your support.
- Imagine a Public Waterfront Park for the benefit of Charlestown, Boston and its visitors.
- Imagine a climate resilient inclusive waterfront providing healthful recreation, cultural events and historic views from the Head of Boston Harbor.
- Charlestown wants and needs a waterfront public park.
- The imagination and implementation ideas competition begins soon!
- We welcome passionate volunteers to join us in our mission to inspire and affect resilient, revitalized, and accessible waterfront for all.

Petition for Waterfront Pier Park for Recreational Equity in Charlestown.
Sea you there! Follow our Festivals & Activities Calendar!
GoFundMe. You can also support us here. Crowd funding platform.
GoFundMe. You can also support us here. Crowd funding platform.
Collaborations for global solutions. Explore the Head of Boston Harbor. Imagine a climate resilient inclusive waterfront.
To the many you have helped achieve this headway, we Thank you for your efforts!
Making Pier 5 Public Again!
with Your Generous Contributions!
We hope you will join us, the BRA, and thousands of supporters working to make Pier 5 a landmark, open public space that honors this special, historical and breathtaking location.
Please send checks by mail to our 501c3
Pier 5 Association 197 8th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129
The Recreational Equity is out of balance in Charlestown. Please help keep History alive!
We are grateful for our community of
more than 4,000
supporters and volunteers protecting
the Navy Yard’s unique National Legacy in perpetuity
Next milestones together!
- Legal expenses
- Expand Volunteer team at all levels!
- Fundraising
- Site Analysis
- Engineering and design
- Neighborhood awareness
- Landscape Design: Inspirational visions for Pier 5 Park with nature based climate resilience, historic preservation, education
- Regulatory diligence
- Media outreach
- Petition to government and other officials

With the latest announcement from the BPDA and tremendous support from the Charlestown community, this beautiful, historic and sacred location can be revived as a public open space for all to enjoy. Their visions bring us one step closer to reality.
All Hands on Deck!
Welcome Aboard! We welcome passionate volunteers to join us in our mission to inspire and affect resilient, revitalized, and accessible waterfront for all. Together, we are changing Boston’s public space for generations to come. Imagine a climate resilient inclusive waterfront. Petition for Waterfront Pier 5 Park for Recreational Equity.
Now is the time to scale up our endeavors to make Pier 5 an open landmark public green heat mitigated space.
Identity of Public Waterfronts
Nature Based
The waterfront should not be privatized into apartment complexes with fundamental waterfront experience blocking, impacting Boston’s quality of life and health for generations. Nature based solutions are an investment in our future and our planet.
Waterfront Alliance outlines a five-point progressive agenda for a harbor – Strong, Healthy, Open, Working, and Managed.
Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities) aims to support cities and their CROs in future-proofing their communities and critical infrastructure. In this new stage of our work, we are guided by four principles. This Spring we will begin a collaboration with Universities and Public institutions to create a Nature Based Solutions landscape design competition for Pier 5.
Pier 5 Views, Visions + Goals
The efforts to revive the Pier 5 public park span generations and hundreds of collective years. There are common…
What do Children Expect?
Our Events Children’s canvas. Our proposed and past event Programs, UN effort replicable education…
Go Boston 2030 Vision & Action Planning
Visions & Action Plan Components Climate Ready Program In Boston’s recent history, ethical urban development challenges of public asset…

What are your ideal park components?
Pier 5 adjacent piers include renown Pier 6 marina/restaurant to the North and the beloved Courageous Sailing Center city side. Neighboring National Treasure, the U.S.S. Constitution frigate is an international tourist attraction with over 350,000 visitors each year to learn and explore. One of Boston’s most visited museums.
An activated waterfront is anchored by varied types of open spaces, featuring cultural resources and year-round programming and connecting people with the natural, cultural, and economic history of the region.
Richard McGuinness, Deputy Director for the Climate Change and Environmental Planning at the Boston Redevelopment Authority
Community Components
Courageous Community & Educational Programming





#PIER5
Together, we are changing Boston’s public space for generations to come. Imagine a climate resilient inclusive waterfront providing healthful recreation, cultural events and historic views from the Head of Boston Harbor. We welcome passionate volunteers to join us in our mission to inspire and affect resilient, revitalized, and accessible waterfront for all.
Organizing innovative nature based climate resilient landscape design focus by prospective studios and Universities. resilient and accessible waterfront through community engagement and education.
We have organized numerous public family boardwalk community events, meetings & engagements to reactivate Pier 5 as a National Historic Park destination.
We inspire the capacity of individuals, institutions, businesses, government and urban systems to adapt to climate stresses and shocks.
“Greenway Crossroads” Mural Proudly Presented by the BRA
Early in BRA Navy Yard stewardship, a mural hung at the BRA entrance “Greenway Crossroads” proudly presented the future public green space at Piers 4, 5, 6. The Boston Naval Yard is a Special Place for the Public.
How did the BRA stray so far from that original vision? Now proposing the privatizing of a valuable public amenity and removing it from the public realm? Why are private condominiums for a few now proposed for a harbor site that calls for the Public’s Enjoyment and Use of the Harbor?
- Everything that happens on the Harbor has an immediate socio-economic and ecological impact on Charlestown in particular, and Boston overall.
- Reports
Analysis Reports including: Historical, Engineering Structural Feasibility, Flood Risk, Acoustic Impacts, Heat Island, Flood berm, Urban Reef, Ornithology Habitat and more.
Socio-ecological, Socio-economic, Social Justice, Environmental Impact Studies, Engineering Reports (years), Demographics, Transportation, Ecological Resilience, United Nations Sustainability Goals, Tourism, Locals, National History, Local Economic Losses due to disrepair. Historical, Engineering Structural Feasibility, Flood Risk, Acoustic Impacts, Heat Island, Flood berm, Urban Reef, Ornithology Habitat and more.
BRA offered Pier 5 at $0 cost to Activate a Green Public Park.
Let’s welcome this opportunity to reactivate
greenspace!
Social Equity
A just determination of the balance of public well being across socio-economic borders.
Equity including resilient and accessible waterfront through community engagement and education.
Pier 5 Association is making extraordinary progress to reactivate this public property as a landmark waterfront national park providing healthful recreation, cultural events and historic views from the Head of Boston Harbor.
Affordable recreational space is legally drawn according budgets, outdated statistics and political whim. This flat map thinking results in Green Space being designed by quota. The design usually results in a Yard, not a Green Space Park.
Pier 5 adjacent piers include renown Pier 6 marina/restaurant to the North and the beloved Courageous Sailing Center city side. Neighboring National Treasure, the U.S.S. Constitution frigate is an international tourist attraction with over 350,000 visitors each year to learn and explore. One of Boston’s most visited museums.
We don’t believe privatizing public waterfront is appropriate and contrary to concepts of socio-ecological justice, quality of life and public access rights to amenities of real waterfront green and open space.
Official definitions of recreational areas are used interchangeably in official Charlestown maps and drawings: Open Space, Green Space, Recreational Space, Sports Area, Exercise Space, Playground, Memorial, Open Lot, Yard, Plaza, Promenade, Pier, Sports-field and Park. This is one symptom and cause of social inequity. A Yard is different than a Park. A prison yard is not defined as a prison park. There are vital differences.
Recognizing the historic, healthful value of Pier 5
In 1993, Pier 5 was walk-able. The public used it everyday and fished from it. The Freedom Trail, Harbor Walk, convene at the Head of Boston Harbor. Decades ago, the Pier was allegedly condemned. An ugly fence was erected overnight.
– Fishing Resident
Resources
Resources Pier 5 Association is making extraordinary progress to reactivate this public property as an landmark waterfront national park providing healthful recreation, cultural events and historic views from the Head of Boston Harbor. Heavyweight Use – Private Profit Development More public cost, Massive public disruption lasting years, More area traffic disruption, More private isolated wealth,…
Keep readingResearch
Resources & Research Thousands of documents including the original plans present conditions and legal obligations of the Boston Public Development Agency to Pier 5 and the Charlestown Navy Yard historic district. Pier 5 Association is making extraordinary progress to reactivate this public property as an landmark waterfront national park providing healthful recreation, cultural events and…
Keep readingHistoric
Chronology
A visual history provides critical temporal context and birds eye perspective of complex human landscaping. Pier 5 Association is making extraordinary progress to reactivate this public property as an landmark waterfront national park providing healthful recreation, cultural events and historic views from the Head of Boston Harbor. Chronology
Keep readingEarth Day Event RSVP
Events of Interest
Did you know?
Pier 4 Repairs
The current Pier 4 unfortunate situation could have been prevented. Reactionary post-hoc out of season maintenance impacts recreational equity of people from all walks of life from around the globe. Adjacent Pier 5 is the largest pier and facing similar circumstances.
Keep readingKnow Your Zone | NYC Emergency Management
KNOW YOUR ZONE is your destination for everything you need to know about hurricanes in New York City. You’ll find information about the city’s hurricane evacuation zones, the hazards you…
Zoning in Charlestown
Spot Zoning (Articles 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D, 42E, and 42F) The Boston Planning & Development Agency governs development of most of Boston’s waterfront public property. Much of the planning and urban design parameters outlined in MHPs are codified into zoning. Purpose of M.G.L. Chapter 9 is to protect the public interest in the waterways of the Commonwealth. It ensures that the public…
Keep readingOther ways to make a difference
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GoFundMe. You can also support us here.
Keep in touch! Follow our Festivals & Activities Calendar!
Keep in touch! Follow our Festivals & Activities Calendar!
GIVE US A HAND
Support Pier 5 Park today!
GIVE US A HAND