Shadley Associates is leading a team of consultants for the revitalization of Leo M. Birmingham Park, a 4.5-acre park in Brighton for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Located along Leo M. Birmingham Parkway, this site was originally a nineteenth-century residential neighborhood of approximately twenty homes, the site was acquired by DCR in 1932 to construct Birmingham Parkway and establish the existing park. Recently the park has served as the staging area for reconstruction of the adjacent parkway, which transformed the roadway through a “road diet,” reducing travel lanes from four to two and adding a new shared-use path along the southern edge of the park.
Proposed improvements include universally accessible walkways, woodland trails designed to meet U.S. Forest Service accessibility guidelines, and a new overlook plaza featuring a shade structure, picnic tables, and timber benches. Recreational amenities include reconstructed bocce courts, new horseshoe pits, bicycle parking, benches, picnic tables, and a water bottle filling station. The proposed design preserves existing woodland habitat while introducing native trees and understory plantings to enhance biodiversity, seasonal interest, and the urban tree canopy. Integrated bioretention areas capture and treat stormwater runoff, creating a more resilient and sustainable landscape.