The Performative Landscapes of Green Lodge Boulevard

Year: 2024

Site: Westwood, Massachusetts

The Performative Landscapes of Green Lodge Boulevard reimagines an underutilized suburban area in Westwood, Massachusetts, within the Neponset River Watershed, as a sustainable and integrated community. Positioned near Route 128 and connected to Boston via commuter rail, the site offers a unique opportunity for ecological restoration and circular production. The proposal employs three key strategies: establishing Green Lodge Boulevard as a new urban corridor, implementing performative landscapes for water management, and creating three distinct zones—Eco-Living, Eco-Exchange, and Eco-Industry.

The Eco-Living zone densifies development near the train station to promote transit use and reduce vehicle dependency. The Eco-Exchange zone provides mixed-use spaces for green technology, multigenerational education, and civic programming. The Eco-Industry zone leverages the site’s industrial legacy by introducing sustainable industries that can subsidize infrastructure development and housing. Together, these elements reclaim 32% of the site to the Neponset Reserve for environmental restoration while encouraging economic growth and social commons. This framework demonstrates how suburban industrial areas can be revitalized to symbiotically integrate urban development through environmental resilience.