Energy Environment Economy · Ann Gisinger

Crossing into a Greener Future (via Transit and Stormwater Smart Redevelopment)

·36 min·3 clips

John Rappaport explains how Cambridge Crossing retains 95% of rainwater on-site through an ingenious reuse system.

This episode focuses on the Cambridge Crossing development, a 43-acre transit-oriented and stormwater-smart project spanning Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. Host Anne Geisinger of the Environmental Business Council of New England speaks with John Rappaport from developer DivcoWest and civil engineer Liz Clark from Beals & Thomas. The project received the EBC Nicholas Humber Award for outstanding collaboration. The site was a former industrial rail yard acquired by DivcoWest in 2016, which then pursued a major permit amendment to reshape the master plan. Key infrastructure included constructing 11,000 linear feet of bike paths connecting to regional trails like the Minuteman and the Somerville Community Path. A major transit element involved coordinating with the MBTA's Green Line Extension, which relocated the Lechmere Station entrance directly into the development. The team also redesigned the Gilmore Bridge connection to Charlestown, adding the Brian P. Murphy staircase and a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape. For stormwater management, a central pond and a network of cisterns and infiltration tanks capture and reuse approximately 95% of rainwater on-site. The site was raised six to ten feet using over 100,000 cubic yards of material to achieve resiliency against projected 2070 flood elevations. A surprising challenge arose when the Green Line Extension project was canceled the day after DivcoWest purchased the land, threatening a key part of the project's transit connectivity. The stormwater system creatively irrigates the parks by pulling water from the central pond, which is replenished by roof runoff and street drainage from the buildings. Environmental remediation required placing all utilities in clean, imported soil corridors and capping open spaces with three feet of clean cover over a marker barrier. The design team developed a complex matrix to site large infiltration structures, balancing hydrological performance with environmental constraints to avoid disturbing contaminated soils. The reused granite blocks lining the pond are former boat slips from the site's history as Miller's River. The tone is conversational, educational, and celebratory, highlighting the project's engineering and collaborative achievements. The style is interview-based, with the host prompting detailed explanations from the two practitioners. This episode would appeal to urban planners, civil engineers, real estate developers, and sustainability professionals interested in large-scale redevelopment and green infrastructure. Listeners seeking highly technical details on environmental remediation or a critical debate on urban policy might find it less suited to their interests.

As heard by us

A grounded redevelopment story where transit, stormwater, and collaboration have to work together.

Cambridge Crossing follows the practical work behind turning a 43-acre, three-city site into something that can handle transit, pedestrians, and stormwater at the same time.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a look at Cambridge Crossing, a 43-acre transit-oriented, stormwater-smart redevelopment shared across Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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