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A proposed public plaza located on Franklin Street, otherwise known as a parklet, is gaining traction as local organizers from Boston Public Living Room rally community support ahead of the City of Boston’s 2026 funding cycle for new public spaces.

Nate Lash, manager of the City’s Public Realm Program, had reached out to Allston neighbors Kelly Regan and Gina Bates, who are organizers with Boston Public Living Room, to discuss the possibility of designing the plaza.

“We met probably in early August, maybe the end of July, to talk about these plazas,” recalls Bates. “Nate told us that that Franklin Street portion, between where EXIT GALLERIES (99 Franklin St) ends and that crosswalk right before the Dream Convenience Store (109 Franklin St), was on their radar for a plaza.”

Parklets are typically parking spaces repurposed into public space, often used for greenery, art, or socializing. The Franklin Street parklet is proposed to be allocated the equivalent seven parking spaces on the street.

Bates describes the Boston Public Living room, which she founded in 2023, as a “traveling third space.” 

“It’s just a matter of setting everything up and then letting the people come and be who they are,” she says.

Lash had reached out to Regan and Bates because Boston Public Living Room had previously received permits to temporarily shut down the same portion of Franklin Street to host several block parties and events.

The City has allocated funding for three plaza developments in 2026. In the meantime, the exact locations must be decided. The organizers of Boston Public Living Room were asked to “advocate for community buy-in” to strengthen the case for Allston’s selection, according to a presentation drafted by Bates.

Bates has garnered support from Allston Village Main Streets (AVMS), Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Liaison Jennifer Roberts, and City Councilor Elizabeth “Liz” Breadon, in addition to 42 signers of a petition for the parklet. 

In September, Boston Public Living Room hosted its “Chalk It Up!” event, which was located at the space for the proposed parklet and encouraged participants to use street chalk to draw their visions for what art would be included in the parklet’s design. 

When the “Chalk It Up!” event had been announced, Bates had received some pushback about the parklet on Allston-Brighton’s Facebook page from a few neighbors with concerns on taking up parking space. However, supporters say that the parklet could help improve traffic safety on the street.

Bates explains that Franklin Street is one of the streets that gets the most complaints in terms of speeding cars.

“People should reserve judgment until they see more fully fleshed out plans,” says Alex Cornachinni, executive director of AVMS, a fiscal sponsor for Boston Public Living Room. “If they can see that it’s just a portion and that cars will just be able to drive around the park instead of straight through, it is more of a traffic calming measure, too. I’m sure most people would support that.”

“Losing those seven spaces would definitely be an adjustment for people, but I don’t see it as being enough of a reason to not have a third community space for people,” Bates adds.

Looking ahead, Bates plans to gather more perspectives on the plaza through a presentation at Allston Civic Association’s meeting on November 19, and through putting up flyers in Lower Allston with a QR code to a publicly editable document for community members to share concerns and feedback on the plaza’s plan.

“At the end of the day, community takes time. Building trust takes time […] You don’t know me. Why would you trust me? I get that. Let’s talk about it. Let’s talk through it. Let’s see where your concerns are,” says Bates.

“A big piece of it is just making sure that everyone across the board is able to weigh in if they want to, and that they feel like their concerns are being considered in some way.”

Bates hopes that neighbors not only feel heard during the planning process, but also develop a sense of ownership over the final space.

“It’s a community-made space for your own community, rather than the city saying, ‘Here’s a park with all the stuff that we came up with to put in it. Enjoy it,’” says Bates. “You feel better when you’ve had a say in what something looks like. We just need more free third spaces that are open access and fit the community’s wants and needs.” ■