The Recent Passing of Paleontoligist Stephen Jay Gould and the Discussions Over the Fate

There are many reasons to lament the passing of paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, who wrote with great wit, passion, and insight on subjects as diverse as baseball and evolution. Gould was a proponent of ''punctuated equilibrium,'' a theory which challenged the notion that evolution was a gradual process. He and others believed that the impact of asteroids or sudden changes in climate caused the evolution of life to accelerate. Obviously, that was not so good for the dinosaurs, who were felled by an errant asteroid, but real good for the fate of man on earth.

Sadly, it appears that Gould left before lending an opinion on one of the hottest topics in Boston today. Like it or not, the city is about to experience punctuated equilibrium when the elevated central artery is torn down and a narrow 30 acre corridor of open space, officially known as the Rose Kennedy Greenway, becomes available to the public. Clearly, how we address this opportunity will have a huge impact on the city. The question still on the table is whether that future will mimic the history of dinosaurs or mankind. Boston’s track record in dealing with large urban “punctuations” is telling.

Take, as an example, Scollay Square. The old expression “you can’t get there from here…” could easily have been amended “…without going through Scollay Square.” Because of the Square’s proximity to Beacon Hill, Quincy Market, and the downtown commercial district it became, over the years, a nexus of transportation services from stage coaches to subways. With all those people criss-crossing the Square, it was only natural that businesses would spring up, and eventually Scollay Square itself became a destination.

During the day the lure (no pun intended) included Iver Johnson’s, a sporting goods store where Ted Williams used to buy his fishing gear, and F.W. Woolworth’s, a five and dime where items actually cost only 5 or 10 cents. Hungry travelers and sailors seeking cheap meals sought epicurean refuge in emporiums such as Albiani’s Lunch and Joe and Nemo. At night, the Old Howard theater and nightclubs like the Theatrical Bar in the Crawford House beckoned yon weary travelers until early the following mornings. What is important to note is that none of the Square’s success was planned. It was “natural selection” (to use another expression from the late Mr. Gould’s lexicon) that created the conditions – a central location, transportation services, and proximity to a navy yard – that made the Square world renown.

In 1961 the Square’s equilibrium was punctuated when it was torn down and replaced by City Hall Plaza, the JFK Federal Building, and 1-2-3 Center Plaza. The plaza itself, a desolate sea of red brick, was deemed “public” space and therefore no permanent stores, shops, theaters or private business of any kind were allowed anywhere but on its edges. With so many constraints, the plaza never had the chance to be anything but a path between places, and has been an utter failure. Ironically, it will take another punctuation, this one brought about by the Trust for City Hall Plaza (in the form of an arcade, a redesigned T stop, and a garden) that, it is hoped, will make the plaza a destination unto itself. Such is also the goal for the Kennedy Greenway, as well.

As Robert Campbell has written, the reason that places like Newbury Street in the Back Bay work is that they have been allowed the opportunity to evolve. The result there is a destination for tourists and natives alike, a splendid public space that is, ironically, a narrow urban canyon heavy with vehicular traffic and surrounded mostly by stores, businesses, and apartments. That’s a description which sounds strikingly similar to that 30 acre swath of land left after the artery goes underground.

While the size, scope, and sudden appearance of the Greenway requires a more active participation by the government in establishing some of the attractions that will draw visitors, such open-air theaters and playgrounds. But we all know that the government makes a lousy hot dog. Small businesses, like the stores that once made Scollay Square and today make Newbury Street so vibrant, need to be there, and the master plan must include that opportunity so that our Greenway doesn’t become one of Mr. Gould’s unfortunate dinosaurs.

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David Kruh, a former Big Dig spokesperson, is the author of Always Something Doing: Boston’s Infamous Scollay Square