History

The Greenway is the contemporary public park in the heart of Boston, welcoming millions of visitors annually to gather, play, unwind, and explore. The Greenway Conservancy is the non-profit responsible for the management and care of The Greenway, with the majority of the public park’s annual budget generously provided by private sources.

In 1991, after almost a decade of planning, construction began in Boston on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, more widely known as the “Big Dig”. The project, recognized as one of the largest, most complex, and technologically challenging in the history of the United States, would remove the elevated highway and create a tunnel system below the city.

With the elevated highway relocated underground, community and political leaders seized the opportunity to enhance the city by creating The Greenway, a public park that re-connected some of Boston’s oldest and most vibrant neighborhoods, and the city itself with the waterfront. The creation of The Greenway was a joint effort of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (since incorporated into the Massachusetts Department of Transportation), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and various civic and community organizations. The Greenway has a number of historical and interpretative markers and maps located throughout the parks; visit our Park Map for listing and location information.

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The Greenway Conservancy was established as an independently incorporated non-profit organization in 2004 to guide the emerging park’s development and raise funds for an endowment and park operations. In 2008, the State Legislature confirmed the Conservancy as the designated steward of The Greenway, which opened to the public in October of 2008 with tens of thousands of visitors coming together for the park’s inaugural celebration. Shortly after in February 2009, the Greenway Conservancy assumed operational responsibility for the park. Since that time, the Conservancy has maintained and programmed The Greenway, bringing neighborhoods together and reconnecting the city and its waterfront.

In 2018, the Greenway Conservancy, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and property owners abutting The Greenway negotiated a Business Improvement District (BID) to support the Greenway Conservancy’s care of the park. The majority of the public park’s annual budget is generously provided by private sources.