UrbDeZine Boston

Urban Planning + Architecture + Preservation + Design

Kara Chisholm

avatar for Kara Chisholm

About Kara Chisholm

Kara Chisholm is a Planner for the City of Quincy, eight miles south of Boston. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010 with a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Architectural History. She has experience working with the Boston Preservation Alliance, as a real estate salesperson in Boston, and as a Coordinator at Fidelity Management and Research Company.

Kara intends to pursue a Master’s degree in Urban Planning in the next few years. Her related interests include Architectural History, Urban Design, Real Estate Development, and Architecture. She is especially intrigued by the psychological impact physical spaces have on the people that inhabit them.

In her spare time she enjoys kayaking, exploring Boston Harbor, learning to salsa dance, step aerobics, touring historic homes, listening to music, grocery shopping, and looking at pictures on fashion blogs.

Peddocks Island: A Study of Public Art and Community

By

Fort AndrewsAt the end of this past summer I made a trip to Peddocks Island in the Boston Harbor. The island is one of 24 that make up the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. The Metropolitan District Commission (now DCR), a state agency, acquired Peddocks Island in 1970. It’s one of the largest in the harbor and the only one that still has cottages used by summer residents. It’s an amazing place, unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. [Read more…] about Peddocks Island: A Study of Public Art and Community

Chicago’s Crown Fountain vs. Buckingham Fountain

By

View from Hancock TowerChicago – I traveled to Chicago this week to attend a workshop put on by the American Planning Association called “Planning for Flood Resilient Communities.” I had never been to Chicago, so I was very excited to explore the city. I spent the day before the conference exploring without a real agenda (except to go on the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s boat tour), and what I found was a fantastic example of what makes public spaces work, and what makes them fail. [Read more…] about Chicago’s Crown Fountain vs. Buckingham Fountain

Downtown Crossing Should Have More Lights

By

Times Square at Night: Even at 10:30pm, this place is jam-packed and bustling with activity. Photo by Dennis Mojado

Boston – Downtown Crossing has been in the news a lot lately. The Filene’s building recently got a developer, in the past few years the Paramount and Modern theaters and the Boston Opera House have been rehabilitated, Scholars American Bistro and Cocktail Lounge opened a few months ago, and the vacant Modernist building that used to contain Borders Bookstore has an opportunity to do something great for the neighborhood depending on its next tenant.

[Read more…] about Downtown Crossing Should Have More Lights

Restoration of Church of Presidents

By

United First Parish's New BellQuincy MA –  Last Thursday I had the opportunity to tour United First Parish Church of Quincy’s recently restored bell tower. The building is the resting place of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and their wives, hence its nickname Church of Presidents. It is also recognized for its architectural significance. Designed in 1828 by Alexander Parris, [Read more…] about Restoration of Church of Presidents

Boston and the State Seek Proposals to Develop Land Between Chinatown and the Leather District

By

Parcel 25 and surrounding area from One Financial Center's 44th floor

Boston – In December, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (“MassDOT”) released a request for proposals to develop a 1.66 acre piece of land in the heart of downtown Boston, known as Parcel 25. [Read more…] about Boston and the State Seek Proposals to Develop Land Between Chinatown and the Leather District

Quincy’s Town Brook Relocation Project Receives DEP Approval

By

Town BrookThe Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently issued a Superseding Order of Conditions approving Quincy’s Town Brook relocation plan, though with forty-seven conditions.

[Read more…] about Quincy’s Town Brook Relocation Project Receives DEP Approval