project opened in October 2013. The wetland stores and gradually releases collected storm water runoff from nearby parts of Cambridge, including the Huron and Concord Avenue areas. A basin and native plantings will slow the flow of runoff and remove pollutants and nutrients before they enter the Little River. The area includes an amphitheater, interpretive signage, overlooks and boardwalks, and links the bike paths on either side. Habitats, ranging from deep marsh to riparian forest, were created. The land bordering Massachusetts Bay in eastern Massachusetts once consisted of spongy wetlands that worked to improve water quality and regulate flow in the surrounding rivers, however, the natural structure and ecology of the land was disturbed by urbanization of the city of Cambridge and surrounding areas. With this degradation, water pollution from sanitary sewer overflow became a huge problem in the Alewife Basin. To combat this issue, the city was ordered to separate its sanitary and stormwater sewage systems. In 2003, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority collaborated to create a green infrastructure plan involving large scale restoration of a neglected wetland within the Alewife Reservation in Cambridge with additional development to convert the reservation into a usable public park. The restored wetlands would work to regulate flooding and flow rates and improve water quality by removing debris and pollutants from urban stormwater runoff as it is filtered through the wetlands. The outcomes of this plan proved to be highly successful as they have addressed various aspects of the region’s broader urban systems. Not only has the project improved water quality and reduced flooding and sewage overflows within the area, but it has also promoted biodiversity by providing safe and healthy urban wildlife habitats as well as sustainability by reducing the environmental footprint of the city. Additionally, the park’s renewal has created shared public space that fosters a sense of community in the surrounding areas and provides an educational platform for those communities with environmental education opportunities and outdoor classroom space built into the park’s design. Despite its success, the project has received some push back. Before the plan was implemented, a series of court cases arose from public discourse in the community that deemed the project “an inappropriate use of parkland”. Additionally, the initial predicted cost of the project was $3 million, however it is now a part of a $171 million investment. Alewife Brook