Charlestown’s Hood Park: A Revitalized Urban Landscape

Tucked away in Charlestown between the I-93 Expressway and busy Rutherford Avenue is Hood Park. An industrial site for nearly 200 years, Hood Park has been transformed into a major urban destination as part of an ambitious master plan led by SMMA.

Now, we look back on a tour led by SMMA landscape architect Andy Elliott, as he walks us through various developments at Hood Park, introducing elements of the site’s master plan. The tour includes Hood Plaza, which forms the social heart of the 20-acre site.

In this short film, Andy reveals the story behind design: how the plaza pays tribute to the site’s industrial heritage, preserves existing trees, incorporates native flora, and provides a welcoming outdoor space for Hood Park’s tenants and the general public.
 

The plaza kick-started the process of weaving Hood Park into the fabric of the wider neighborhood. It has become a magnet for Charlestown residents and the ever-growing population of office, lab, and retail workers at the site.

Additional features include SMMA-designed green roof terrace at The Harvey, a residential building (architecture by CBT). The LEED Platinum project was the first major development of the Hood Park master plan to be constructed. The 12,000 square feet green roof provides the building’s residents with a much-needed space to connect with nature, relax, entertain, and participate in outdoor events and classes.

A special thank you to our design partners Fluidity, who collaborated with SMMA on the water features in the design.