The complex waterfront: A study of the Chelsea Creek Designated Port Area Program in Chelsea, Massachusetts

This thesis presents the results of a joint research project between a Tufts University research team and the Chelsea Collaborative. Using a participatory action research methodology, the research team and the Chelsea Collaborative's Brownfield Sub-committee completed an effort to examine the Chelsea Creek waterfront for opportunities and obstacles for future involvement in local waterfront planning. The Chelsea Creek waterfront, subject to the Massachusetts Designated Port Area Program, is a mix of industrial and warehousing land uses. The Brownfield Sub-committee is primarily interested the development likelihood of the waterfront parcels for increased industrial use. By completing a regulatory review, a study of land use patterns and environmental issues, and completing interviews with a variety of stakeholders, the research participants identified criteria that would influence the likelihood of development as an industrial use. An analysis on the criteria was completed, and shown graphically on a map in order to identify those parcels that have high, medium, or low development likelihood. Based on the analytical results and the overall research completed, recommendations for the Brownfield Sub-committee on the implications of this research on other waterfront communities are presented. Additionally, this algorithm can be useful for other communities to understand development likelihood in their waterfront, or other sensitive resources.