City of Worcester Worcester, MA

Building Community Resilience Through Planting Miyawaki Forests

The City of Worcester was awarded a grant through the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program, administered by the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). BSC planners and landscape architects assisted the City with the design and planting of two Miyawaki Forests, as well as the design of two additional CoolPockets – pocket parks focusing on community and ecological resilience.

The project addressed extreme heat, flooding, air quality, and social justice, as well as building climate resilience for the city’s most vulnerable residents. It included a strong public engagement component as part of the scope of work. The project team has designed flyers and project signage, created exhibits posted in the city’s library, posted informational videos to social media, prepared an online survey and crowdsource mapping tool, and held “foraging” and planting days for the Miyawaki Forest component of the project.

2025 American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA) Sustainability & Resiliency Award