HARVARD ERC DISTRICT AND GREENWAY PLAN

Plan provides framework for future ERC phases

BOSTON - April 16, 2026 - The Planning Department today successfully advanced the Harvard ERC District and Greenway Plan for approval and adoption by the BPDA Board. The plan provides a framework for the ongoing development of Harvard’s 30 acre Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) in Allston, allowing this area to grow as an interconnected part of the neighborhood, rather than a separate, stand-alone campus. The plan envisions this area as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood and employment center that supports working, living, learning, and recreation.

Staff completed this planning initiative in direct response to community feedback, and as mitigation, following the approval of Phase A of the Harvard ERC in 2022. The plan will guide future development of the remaining site as it continues to be built out in future phases. The main priorities of this plan, developed in collaboration with the community, include: housing, open space, transportation connectivity, green infrastructure, and support for local businesses.

“This plan will allow the Harvard ERC to evolve as a fully connected community, complete with accessible green space, affordable housing, and innovation space,” said Chief of Planning Kairos Shen. “I look forward to working with the community as this vision is brought to life through subsequent development of the ERC.”

The final Plan recommends continuing to transform the area into an innovative research district that is seamlessly integrated with the existing neighborhood fabric. Key recommendations include: a Mobility and Access Framework that prioritizes improved multimodal connections within the district and to surrounding neighborhoods; a design strategy for the ERC Greenway that supports year-round use through lighting, landscaping, and safety improvements; a mix of housing types along the edges of the planning area to create a compatible transition to adjacent neighborhoods; and phased development guidelines that ensure the site continues to function cohesively while minimizing disruption for vehicles and pedestrians as new phases are delivered.

“We are grateful for our continued collaboration with the City and the Allston-Brighton community as we work to further develop Harvard's Enterprise Research Campus into a vibrant, mixed-used, commercial innovation district that compliments the existing neighborhood,” said Interim CEO of Harvard Allston Land Company Jennifer Cohen.

“As stated in the Draft Plan, I appreciate that Harvard University has committed that 20 percent of the ERC’s total developable land area will be publicly accessible open space,” said District 9 City Councilor Liz Breadon. “The future continuous east-west greenway will be a fantastic amenity that will serve to better connect the Allston neighborhood to the Charles River.”

“I look forward to the full build out along Western Ave and completion of the Greenway from the Allston Honan Library to the Charles River,” said Harvard ERC District and Greenway Plan Advisory Group member Barbara Parmenter. “I was glad to see a commitment to temporary improvements as the community waits for full completion.”

Planning efforts happening in parallel in this neighborhood include the Beacon Park Yard Regional Framework Plan (BPY), and the Allston-Brighton Community Plan (ABCP). BPY, which is adjacent to the Harvard ERC District and Greenway Plan area, will develop a community vision to explore and refine opportunities unlocked by the Allston Multimodal Project. The ABCP will develop a shared vision for the future of the neighborhood in collaboration with the Allston-Brighton community, focused on housing, transportation, and open space