Allston, Boston, is directly across the Charles River from intensely walkable Harvard Square. Yet, the neighborhood until recently was industrial in character and automobile-oriented—a place for cars passing through to other locations.

With facilities in Allston, including Harvard Stadium, Harvard Business School, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard launched Zone 3 to “activate and energize the neighborhood” with creative programs, events, and public art. “Since 2015, Zone 3 has provided more than 100 unique programs and events and worked with 1,400 artists, musicians, performers, and other creative professionals,” explains the project team. Key initiatives include: 

• A true neighborhood “third place” and primary hub, 267 Western hosts indoor and outdoor events, including concerts and educational programs. The side yard is used as an outdoor beer garden, Boston’s first. The location holds pop-up markets, secret suppers, and art-making activities.
• The Grove is a shady green at the center of the neighborhood. Previously a fenced-in area, this half-acre site is a highly accessible transportation hub and showcase for local art. 
• An “Art in Print” program utilizes old newspaper boxes tactically to distribute affordable art prints throughout the neighborhood.
• Zone 3 has commissioned murals and created “art scrim” throughout the neighborhood. The murals cover multiple facades on buildings throughout the area, and the scrim, which is more temporary, activates construction fencing with art. Both are key to branding the area as a center for visual and performing arts.
• Programs like “Art in Progress” bring neighborhood artists together to work and build community.

“Third spaces are so important and hard to come by, especially as an artist who graduated from MassArt years ago and has lost that sense of community,” notes an Art in Progress participant. “Having a space where you’re not expected to buy anything and can just hang out with like-minded people is extremely valuable.”

Zone 3 demonstrates how a small project can build momentum and shared vision for holistic neighborhood-wide efforts. Zone 3 has served as a catalyst, not just for Harvard development, but also for increased interest and investment in the neighborhood, according to the project team. This has resulted in 35 active building permits in review or under construction, featuring new housing, life sciences, and retail. Since Zone 3 began, a series of investments have been made by other entities:

• The American Repertory Theater has started construction on the new David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance at the center of the neighborhood.
• Many small businesses have opened and expanded, including a permanent home for a popular vintage store and a new location for a locally beloved bakery and cafe.
• An independent development across the street has prioritized an “Arts Alley” as part of its public realm design strategy to encourage pedestrian connections to and from Zone 3 at 267 Western Ave.
• The City of Boston has implemented traffic-calming measures at major intersections and advanced planning to introduce higher frequency buses and dedicated bike lanes to support multimodal travel along Western Avenue.

Zone 3’s placemaking and community building respond to residents’ needs and guide ongoing planning work in the neighborhood. “Welcoming people to participate at all levels has created a strong sense of community and ownership around Zone 3,” explains the project team.

The 2025 Charter Awards will be presented at CNU33 in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 12.

Zone 3, Boston, MA: 

• Harvard University, Principal firm
• Marika Reuling, Managing Director, Urban District Initiatives
• Jessica Finch, Senior Manager for Placemaking, Urban District Initiatives
• Ben Weissbourd, Director of Development, Harvard Real Estate
• Rebecca Cheney, Commercial Real Estate Associate, Harvard Real Estate
• Jesse Baerkahn, President & Founder, Graffito SP
• Emily Isenberg, Founder | Creative Director, Isenberg Projects
• Liz Woodward, Principal | Director of Strategy, Isenberg Projects

2025 CNU Charter Awards Jury

• Rico Quirindongo (chair), Director, City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development
• Majora Carter, CEO of Majora Carter Group in the Bronx, New York City
• Jake Day, Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development
• Anne Fairfax, Principal, Fairfax & Sammons in New York, NY, and Palm Beach, FL
• Eric Kronberg, Principal, Kronberg Urbanists + Architects in Atlanta, GA
• Steven Lewis, Principal, ZGF Architects in Greater Los Angeles, CA
• Donna Moodie, Chief Impact Officer, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
• Joe Nickol, Principal, Yard & Company in Cincinnati, OH