Franklin Park Defenders

The name “Franklin Park Defenders” was originally selected by twenty individuals and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, who joined together as citizen advocates in a lawsuit to prevent the privatization of Franklin Park’s White Stadium in February 2024. Since then, it has grown to include over 900 individuals and 35 community organizations. Franklin Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, is one of the preeminent parks in America, the jewel of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, and a national registered landmark. Conceived as a respite for the working people of Boston in 1896, it has since suffered decades of neglect and re-purposing. The Franklin Park Defenders seek to preserve the park for public recreational use by the community and to protect it from over-development.

The Franklin Park Defenders include an ever-increasing number of residents, community leaders, activists, environmentalists, landscape architects, historians, and concerned citizens beyond the Boston city limits – all working together to enforce state and local environmental laws, and advocate for an equitable community process of engagement within the predominantly black and brown neighborhoods surrounding Franklin Park. We are committed to advancing environmental justice by addressing historic inequities in land use, fostering community stewardship, and creating opportunities to build healthier, more resilient, and sustainable neighborhoods for future generations.

We seek to protect and empower the historically disenfranchised communities of the City of Boston and advocate for the implementation of policies and protections that advance racial, social, and environmental justice, ensuring that every resident has access to safe, welcoming, and vibrant natural environments.