Isenberg Projects named agency of record by city of Boston to study future of cultural and civic expansion on Waterfront

Boston, MA Isenberg Projects, a creative consulting agency specializing in place-based work and community engagement, has been tasked with a study of Interior Facilities of Public Accommodation (FPA) conditions, civic/cultural users in the city, and FPA tenanting processes. The six-month contract will allow Isenberg Projects, alongside their collaborators Agency Landscape + Planning, to research the analytics, developer and cultural groups and create a guide of best practices for the city. 

Additionally, the Isenberg team has a deep network of potential cultural space users to engage with and verify the results of the space needs assessment. The team will engage a consortium of organizations that they have worked closely with, or interviewed as part of their ongoing efforts to document needs of cultural and civic organization capacity and needs within the area. The consortium would advise on the process, connecting the team to cultural space users as part of primary engagement research and then working with the team to brainstorm the foundation for the final recommendations. These groups were chosen to consider a wide breadth of organizational needs and to act as reflection of existing and future needs of city-based organizations and opportunities on the waterfront. Organizations include 826 Boston, Dunamis Boston, Embrace Boston, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, The American City Coalition, The Flavor Continues, Veronica Robles Cultural Center, and YouthBuild Boston. 

“For Isenberg Projects, the overarching goal is to create a blueprint for navigating the process for cultural and civic expansion on the waterfront that is equitable, transparent, and feasible,” said Isenberg Projects founder and creative director, Emily Isenberg. “In our 12 years as an agency, we’ve worked throughout the city, partnering with over 600 cultural organizations, nonprofits, and artists. This has given us a unique perspective on the cultural tenant process that we are excited to bring into this study; we’re thrilled at the opportunity to work in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC).” 

Isenberg Projects will work with MOAC to analyze existing spaces and regulatory restrictions while concurrently looking at the civic and cultural user ecosystem, ensuring that organizations have the capacity and support to take on a particular project. 

“At Embrace Boston, we strive for equitable access to resources and opportunities across all neighborhoods through our spatial justice efforts. It is an incredible time to measure and question the effect that Chapter 91 presents as a solution along the waterfront,” said Embrace Boston president and CEO, Dr. Imari Paris Jeffries. “We’re very excited to be part of this team, reimagining how we go about the process - bringing the very same cultural organizations to the table and ensuring their role in crafting solutions that will be implemented by the city.” 

Founded in 2011, Isenberg Projects is a creative consulting agency based in Boston that specializes in place-based work and community engagement. They provide creative public realm advisory throughout the lifespan of a real estate project, helping to solve the complex challenges that reside at the intersection of community, business operations, and the built environment. 

Isenberg Projects was identified as the bidder that was most advantageous regarding proposal quality, vendor experience and qualifications, and diversity and inclusion plan. Isenberg Projects is also certified by the City’s Supplier Diversity Program, Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), and Small Business Enterprise (SBE).