The Defeat of Scheme Z

Abstract

The most expensive single highway project in U.S. history almost never happened. When the Big Dig was first envisioned by planners, it was meant to deeply incorporate citizen participation into the planning process. Despite this lofty philosophy, planners failed to properly do so when they designed Scheme Z -- a blueprint for the Charles River crossing. The design stirred so much controversy that citizen participation was fully incorporated. This resulted in the designing of a new crossing which is now known as the Zakim Bridge. Though it stands today as the focal point of the Big Dig and an iconic gateway into the city of Boston, the story of the fight to get it built, which was decades in the making, serves as an important lesson in the role of citizen input in public projects.