Planning for a Chinatown Library Park

With a permanent Chinatown branch of the Boston Public Library scheduled to break ground in fall 2025, the Friends of the Chinatown Library (FOCL), Chinatown residents, and community groups have expressed interest in creating a small park or community garden next to the new library branch. Since the land is privately owned and the landowner has not yet demonstrated interest in selling this parcel, FOCL has begun a multifaceted community campaign to win over key stakeholders and mobilize support for this proposed green space.

With a tree canopy of less than 10 percent and 88 percent of the land deemed impervious, Chinatown is the densest and hottest neighborhood in Boston, and one which is also vulnerable to flooding and prone to language and cultural isolation. As the sole surviving Chinese ethnic enclave in New England, Boston Chinatown serves as a vital gathering place and home for a variety of people. While its population has increased by 25 percent from 2000 to 2020, socioeconomic polarization has also increased within the neighborhood. Presently, more than 20 percent of households have an income of $200,000 or more, with a third living in poverty.

A library park can be an important civic space linking people from many walks of life, and the process of planning for one should be inclusive. Through community tabling to shape the park’s vision, FOCL actively involved at least 160 Chinatown residents at four community-wide events during summer and fall 2024. The team also worked with Hideo Sasaki Foundation SEED 3 interns in summer 2025 to further involve community members in developing the vision. This co-design process ensures that the park will reflect the diverse voices, needs, and aspirations of the community it serves. With the support that FOCL received from the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, the project team received the guidance and support needed to move the campaign forward.