Introduction: The Big Dig was a massive highway project in Boston, MA with extensive goals. The project was the largest public construction project in the United states. Its initial budget of 2.8 billion dollars swelled to 14.6 billion by its completion in 2004. Current estimates including interest give a final cost of 22 billion dollars, which will not be paid off until 2038. At its peak 5,000 people were working on it and 3 million dollars were spent on it per day. As is indicated by the enormous cost overruns the project struggled to maintain deadlines and was rife with corruption and extortion. Recent lawsuits have resulted in Bechtel Corporation, the primary contractor, paying back over 400 million dollars and several smaller contractors paying back over 50 million dollars. While a highway construction project, its primary advocate, Frederick Salvucci, designed it to prioritize greenspace and walkability; socially reconnect sections of the city and improve public transit. While the highway projects will be explained, the goal of this paper is to look at the secondary initiatives of Salvucci and determine if they were achieved, whether they were completed as initially planned and if not what the reasons were for the changes. These issues will be addressed by looking through several case studies, including: the Rose Kennedy Greenway; Spectacle Island; West Roxbury’s Millenium Park; and the waterfront park connections. The Central Artery: In the middle of the 1900’s Boston’s status as a major economic center was faltering. The city had been subject to several destructive transportation projects and was “depressed by lack of investment.”1 John Hynes, elected mayor in 1950, set into motion projects intended to re-establish Boston as a premier city, including the construction of the Massachussetts Turnpike, the Prudential Center (Boston’s first skyscraper), and the new Central Artery.2 The artery was intended to alleviate the traffic that packed the roads of city, and serve as part of an “integrated highway network resembling a gigantic wheel—its hub the Central Artery and the proposed Inner Belt Route.”3 Like many of the highway projects of its day it claimed eminent domain and destroyed over 100 residences and 900 businesses in its path. From the beginning of its construction residents disliked the elevated green highway. The artery physically separated the North End from the rest of the city, furthermore it was plagued by traffic issues. It featured 34 poorly designed entrance and exit ramps, accounting for more mileage than the artery itself, that resulted in and accident rate four times the national average.4 By 1990 traffic jams on the artery were reaching 10 hours per day and jams of 16 hours were predicted by 2010.5 This and other destructive roadway projects produced a grass roots “people before highways” movement in Boston.6 Frederick Salvucci: Salvucci, an advocate of efficiency and public transportation who said “highways… destroy something far more difficult to replace,” was well aware of the destructive and isolating nature of construction projects in Boston.7 As the director of the East Boston City Hall he had experienced first hand several rounds of destruction of parklands by the city to build and expand Logan Airport.8 He “was committed to a coherent urban transportation planning idea… rooted in the importance of a modern, clean, safe, efficient public transportationsystem.”9 In 1975 Michael Dukakis, a leader of the “people before highways” movement, was elected governor and instated Salvucci as the head of the Massachusetts Transit Authority. In this role he began the plan that would become the Big Dig, directed the reconstruction and expansion of the Red Line, and rebuilt the Orange Line, two train lines that are still in use today. Unlikely Supporters: That Salvucci developed the biggest highway construction project in the United States seems to contradict everything that he stood for, however the situation was dire and something had to be done to alleviate both the social and physical problems caused by the Central Artery. In 1975 there was already heavy pressure from business interests to construct a third harbor tunnel that would provide direct access to the airport.10 Initial plans were shortsighted and Salvucci saw they had the potential to do further harm to the East Boston community.11 This along with the Central Artery problems spurred Salvucci to action. He conceived of the idea of putting the artery underground in 1975, but initially dismissed as an impossible undertaking.12 However he continued with the project and for the next 7 years he garnered support for it, and he gained approval by the state in 1982. Ground was finally broken on the project in 1992, and the finalized project dealt with three major projects: public transportation Projects; highway projects; and greenspace projects. Public Transportation Projects: While the Big Dig addressed public transportation, the primary purpose of this paper was to look at greenspaces, so public transit is only briefly covered. The Silver Line, the cities only Bus Rapid Transit line, was added as part of the Big Dig. The line has dedicated lanes in both tunnels and surface roads and connects Roxbury to South Station, and South Station to Logan Airport.13The Highway Projects 14:The Ted Williams Tunnel: The 1.6-mile tunnel beneath the Boston Harbor, finished December 15, 1995, was the first completed project. It was finished on schedule and within budget.The I-90 Extension: The extension, completed in January 2003, brought the Massachussetts Turnpike underneath the Fort Point Channel and South Boston before connecting to the Ted Williams tunnel. It was essential to advance the development of the Boston Seaport and the newly constructed Massachussetts Convention Center.Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Tunnel (I-93 Central Artery): A 1.5-mile tunnel, opened in 2003, that connects I-93 to the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge. Leonard P. Zakim bunker Hill Bridge: This bridge replaced a dilapidated six lane double-decker bridge that was demolished in Spring 2004. The first lanes were opened in 2003 and all ten lanes were opened by 2005. It is now one of the centerpieces of the Boston skyline, and is the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world. Storrow Drive Connector Tunnel and Bridge: This 4 lane tunnel and bridge, completed in 1999, runs parallel to the Zakim Bridge and