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Wellington Transformation Study

Updates:

The Wellington Transformation Study is in the final phase of planning. After focus groups, stakeholder meetings, open houses, and presentations to the Community Development Board and City Council, Agency Landscape + Planning is preparing final recommendations for the area. To see progress, visit the Outreach Section.

About

The City of Medford’s Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability is partnering with Agency Landscape + Planning firm to envision a transformed Wellington neighborhood. Currently, Wellington is an area that embodies Medford’s rapid evolution and investments in strategic, long-term planning. It is a key commercial area for the city; it is a jobs center, local shopping hub, and a gateway from the Wellington MBTA station, Somerville, Malden, Everett, and Boston.

This study will focus on understanding Wellington’s unique assets and addressing how to position the area to thrive in the decades to come. The study is a long-range visioning plan that will identify strategies for catalytic investments to connect Medford within the region and be a cornerstone for inclusive & equitable economic development.

The study will conceptualize how to transform Wellington into a resilient, livable, mixed-use district with community amenities.

To do this, the study will cover the below topics over three phases: Understanding Current Conditions, Visioning Study & Implementation Strategy.

development & economic impact

  • Interpret compatible industries & uses (economic analysis)
  • Identify preferable development mix (right-sizing)

 

transportation

  • Understand feasibility for a multimodal environment
  • Assess future development impact on traffic
  • With added density and improved pedestrian, bicycle, and bus connectivity, non-vehicular mode share in the study area has the potential to increase significantly, particularly in the areas closest to Wellington Station.

 

zoning

  • Propose zoning changes based on economic analysis and right-sizing analysis
  • Identify standards, incentives, affordability, and other components

 

design guidelines

  • Urban design concepts like building architecture, massing, shade, connectivity, and environmental design
  • Design guidance describes the desired look, feel, and quality of a neighborhood or district. It responds to the desires of the people who live, work, go to school, or gather in the neighborhood to ensure the guidance creates spaces that make people feel safe and welcome.
  • Design guidance is not required by zoning — it is a series of suggestions to guide how development can fit into the existing community fabric and help transform the Wellington neighborhood.

 

Outreach

Existing Conditions

A Dunkin' Donuts sign stands prominently in the foreground, with a small bus shelter and landscaping visible in the background. Several vehicles are parked in the lot surrounding the building.
A busy urban intersection with traffic signals, crosswalks, and various vehicles on the road against a backdrop of a cloudy blue sky.

Questions?

We welcome comments and questions about this area. Please feel free to reach out to the Economic Development Planner, Kayla Myros, at 781-389-2480 or at kmyros@medford-ma.gov.  You can follow updates about this study on this webpage, social media, and the PDS Newsletter.