Amber Christoffersen joined the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) in May 2016 as the head of the newly created Greenways Initiative. This program will connect 25 miles of paths, improve hundreds of acres of parklands and engage thousands of community members from the Mystic Lakes to the Boston Harbor.
Let’s hear what has changed in these last five years.
Can you share some of the progress that has been made on the Greenways since you started?
Of the 25-mile vision, only about 13 miles were complete when the Greenways Initiative launched. As of December 2021, there are 16 completed miles with seven more miles of paths in progress. In that time same time, MyRWA raised $7 million in capacity, design and engineering and capital funding to advance these projects.
Why do you consider Greenways so important?
Urban parks are not luxuries; they are essential infrastructure for 21st century cities. Parks mitigate climate impacts, encourage active transportation and improve community health. The importance of parks has been further demonstrated during the COVID pandemic when Massachusetts state parks saw a 300% increase in use.
How does the Greenways program work?
MyRWA does not own any of the land along the river, therefore partnerships are critical. We collaborate with landowners including the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), dozens of municipalities and private landowners to expand and enhance these green spaces. With strong partnerships in place, MyRWA makes progress by creating a large-scale vision, securing design and engineering funding to catalyze future investment and engaging and empowering the community to build public support.
Right now, we are leading six signature projects in Arlington, Charlestown, Everett, Medford, Malden, and Somerville. Additionally, we are supporting a dozen more parks and shared-use path projects such as the new pedestrian bridge across the Mystic River and the Mystic to Minuteman Connector.
It is important to note that these improvements often take years and reply on the input and support from our watershed communities.
How has this worked changed since you started?
Like most organizations, we see the need to more fully reckon with inequity. Far too often the state of the parks and paths depend on the economic and racial makeup of the municipalities. MyRWA is working to direct resources to environmental justice communities to address long-standing inequities in access to quality parks.
MyRWA has also expanded our work in mitigating climate impacts at the watershed-scale with the Resilient Mystic Collaborative. The great news is that high-quality, well-designed paths and parks can help with stormwater flooding, serve as a buffer for storm surges and protect people’s health by providing cool spaces in the hot summers.
What improvements do we look forward to seeing in 2021 and 2022?
New riverfront path, park amenities and shoreline restoration at Rivergreen Park in Everett--complete and open today!
Wellington Park along Mill Brook in Arlington—complete and open with a few more plantings to come Spring 2022.
Seawall path connecting Somerville and Charlestown—complete and opening by 2022.
Clippership Connector in Medford—will begin construction in 2022
How did you get involved in this work?
I’m a cyclist and long-distance runner and a believer in people-powered mobility. For me working to making the Mystic more accessible for runners, walkers and bikers is a no-brainer. I hope to see you out on the greenways this coming year!
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Greenway Partners
This ambitious effort is made possible by partnerships with all types of stakeholders across the watershed. We are working collaboratively with the Massachusetts Department of Recreation and Conservation (DCR), Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), dozens of municipalities and many local community groups and citizens. We are grateful for the philanthropic and thought leadership from the Barr Foundation, the Conine Family Foundation, the Fidelity Foundation, the Hamilton Charitable Foundation, Llewellyn Foundation, and the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation.
