Airflow Modeling and Workshop for Reggie Wong Memorial Park
Boston, MA
This project built on a previous community research collaboration between Linnean, scientists at Tufts University, and community activists that investigated the health impacts of ultra-fine particle pollution and the need for stronger municipal regulations to protect communities near highways. In this second phase in 2018, Linnean, researchers from Tufts University and Olin College, and the Chinatown Community Land Trust collaborated to investigate local air pollution in Reggie Wong Memorial Park, a small and active community park in Boston’s Chinatown. The site serves as the community’s primary outdoor recreational site, and is located nearby the I-90 and I-93 interchange, sitting between highway on and off ramps. As part of the project, Linnean performed a set of microclimate and wind flow analyses to model wind-borne pollutants from the highways and railines nearby.
This insight was used to better understand the health impacts on users of the site, with the ultimate goal of using that insight to help inform community design decisions for the site. On August 8, 2018, project team members from Olin College, Linnean Solutions, The Chinatown Community Land Trust, and Tufts University hosted a community workshop to further define design priorities for future park improvements, and to build the capacity of participants to advocate for health and community-driven improvements to the park, drawing on the research findings.