Overview
Nubian Square is a historically and culturally rich neighborhood, but it faces challenges with visibility, accessibility, and community engagement.
Many visitors pass through without exploring, businesses struggle to attract foot traffic, and a lack of clear wayfinding makes navigation difficult. Our project aimed to revitalize the neighborhood by improving navigation, accessibility, and connectivity through digital infrastructure and urban design. By leveraging local businesses as anchors and integrating interactive technologies, we worked to create an experience that would make Nubian Square more welcoming and intuitive for both locals and visitors.
This project was done in collaboration with the City of Boston, working closely with the Head of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment to shape and refine our proposal. Through iterative development, we tailored solutions based on direct feedback from city officials, local business owners, and residents, ensuring that our ideas addressed real needs while aligning with the neighborhood’s vision.
To ground the project in real experiences, we conducted firsthand research, speaking directly with business owners and community members. We met with a cafe manager to discuss foot traffic challenges, a boutique owner about the role of small businesses in shaping identity, and a barbershop manager, about the struggles of launching a new business in Nubian Square.
From this research, I designed a technology-driven proposal to improve wayfinding and visibility for local businesses while making the neighborhood easier to navigate. My final recommendations focused on integrating digital infrastructure to enhance accessibility and engagement. Interactive digital kiosks placed at key locations, such as the bus terminal and bike paths, would help direct visitors to businesses and cultural landmarks. IoT-enabled parking signage would display real-time availability, reducing congestion and making it easier for visitors to find spaces. Along bike routes, digital wayfinding would encourage cyclists to stop and explore Nubian Square rather than simply passing through. To reinforce the neighborhood’s identity, community spotlight boards would highlight local businesses, events, and historical insights, fostering a deeper connection between visitors and the area.
Throughout this project, I refined my ability to balance diverse stakeholder priorities within a collaborative framework. We started with what seemed like a clear goal: to boost tourism within the community. But after some research, I learned that even something as simple as tourism can affect something different across a community. Some stakeholders emphasized economic growth, others focused on cultural preservation, and some wanted better accessibility. Creating a solution that felt authentic, effective, and unobtrusive meant reworking ideas, questioning assumptions, and integrating feedback in meaningful ways.
Our final proposal was presented to the Head of Tourism, Entertainment, and Sports for the City of Boston, where we delivered a comprehensive slide deck outlining both the implementation plan and its broader impact. This experience reinforced my strengths in user-centered urban design, showing how to merge research, technology, and community needs into solutions that don’t just function well but genuinely support the people they’re built for.
