DOWNTOWN NORTH/BULFINCH TRIANGLE
Messaging Helps a Neighborhood Take Shape

People have closely held opinions about the places where they live and work, and decisions about neighborhoods affect a broad number of stakeholders. Downtown North, an area bounded by the Charles River and several main streets in Boston and containing disparate subsections, was no different. This area had long been one of transitions and competing interests.  The Bulfinch Triangle, created in 1808 by architect Charles Bulfinch as a neighborhood bounded by three streets, was sliced apart by the Central Artery elevated highway in the 1950s.  The area became a kind of no-man's-land, with scattered businesses, check-cashing stores, pizza joints and sports bars to cater to the Boston Garden overflow.  On the weekends when there were no games, it became a sketchy ghost town. 

But slowly, the neighborhood began to show signs of rebirth.  Elements of industrial chic started to take hold. The old Garden became the new Fleet Center, a more upscale experience with a heavy concert rotation that yielded fewer dark days.  The Central Artery was coming down, replaced by a tunnel.  The lively American bistro Anthem was capturing the public's attention.  Two boutique prestige hotels emerged on the scene.

Business owners and residents met these developments with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.  They were hopeful about the prospect that the area could grow in cachet and become more vibrant.  But some had lingering apprehensions about overdevelopment and the loss of a sense of history. 

SM& was engaged to rebrand this area of Boston, focusing on the Bulfinch Triangle as the center point of identity.  A large part of our effort entailed building consensus.  We gathered local businesses -- large and small -- and vocal residents serving on neighborhood boards around the table for a disciplined DiscoveryT session.  Hearing and incorporating all these voices created a sense of inclusion and promoted a productive session.

The session itself was highly focused.  We came to it having done extensive research and also created an advance exercise that stimulated the roundtable discussion.  A variety of tools and techniques created an energized and productive atmosphere.  Informed by the interests and sensibilities voiced in this setting, we collectively created the name "The Triangle" and the tagline "Live, Work, Play in the Triangle," which captured the spirit of the district and what stakeholders aspired for it to be. 

Today, the Triangle (www.bulfinchtriangle.com) is a vibrant emerging neighborhood where fans of industrial chic can live in iconic buildings, where young professionals can meet for drinks, and where tourists exploring Faneuil Hall and other attractions can feel welcome.