Common Boston started at a meeting five years ago between four young architects wondering how to better connect with the general public. We wanted to excite people about what is possible through design, while informing ourselves of the issues that are most important to all those who use the urban environment. As a result of this meeting, we organized ArchFest in the summer of 2005. The organization has since changed its name to Common Boston and become a volunteer committee of the Boston Society of Architects. We have hosted a festival of architecture and design in Boston’s neighborhoods every year since 2007.

In that time, we have hosted 131 events in 9 neighborhoods, or “common points”, around Boston. We have worked with more than 50 partner organizations and been powered by more than a hundred volunteers. We also use the festivals as opportunities to look at a variety of themes – last year’s was Designing a Livable City for Families.

Our events range from tours of neighborhoods and buildings, to discussions and lectures, to hands-on activities like scavenger hunts and design-build competitions. These events provide the opportunity to explore the diversity of people and places that form our city; they also provide the opportunity for building professionals and members of the general public to meet, discuss, and share ideas on what will make Boston’s physical environment more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful.