Recreation facilities & sports
Repairing and building community centers, gyms, pools, courts and fields where residents play and exercise.
Residents ask for safe, affordable and free places to play, swim and exercise, especially renovated gyms, pools, community centers, courts and fields.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
295 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 31 | 2.5% | 17 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 123 | 10.2% | 3 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 141 | 10.6% | 2 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Renovate worn gyms and community centers
Residents ask for new gym floors, bleachers, dividers and air conditioning, citing injury risk and heat. Hennigan in Jamaica Plain and the Josiah Quincy gym in Chinatown come up most.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
More and better community centers
Residents want new, rebuilt or more community centers, often in neighborhoods such as Allston-Brighton, Dorchester and low-income areas, and often for youth.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Public pools and swim access
Residents ask for new or repaired pools, especially in Allston-Brighton, Hyde Park and Jamaica Plain, and for swim lessons that people of any income can afford.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Basketball courts and sports fields
Residents ask for more, better-kept and safer basketball courts and athletic fields, including repairs to cracked or neglected courts.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Free or low-cost access and longer hours
Residents want free or affordable memberships, classes and rentals, plus weekend and winter hours, so cost and schedules do not keep people out.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
With only 31 ideas, this cycle had a scattered mix of asks, including community centers, pools, running tracks, adaptive sports and the Chinatown gym renovation.
2025–26
Ideas rose to 123, driven by many near-identical requests for Hennigan and Marshall BCYF repairs, plus calls for pools and youth centers.
2026–27
Ideas rose to 141, with a large cluster on Hennigan gym floor, divider and air conditioning repairs, and new requests for soccer fields and wrestling space.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include wrestling and combat sports training space, more soccer fields, free outdoor fitness classes and equipment in parks, and added Allston asks for a pool and ice rink at Jackson Mann.
Funding so far
No winning projects funded by resident vote relate to this theme, so none of the recurring asks (gym repairs, community centers, pools, courts and fields, free access) has been addressed yet.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- BCYF
- Parks & Recreation
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Recreation facilities & sports
295 ideas
2024–25: 31 · 2025–26: 123 · 2026–27: 141
- Weekend open gym at community centersResident asks for open gym and activity time at community centers on weekends, especially in winter, so neighbors can meet and join free activities.2026–27City-wide
- Install more basketball courtsInstall more basketball courts so everyone can use them.2026–27Jamaica PlainSubmitted in Korean
- Neponset River boating rentals like CharlesStart kayak, canoe and small watercraft rentals on the Neponset River, similar to Charles River community boating, to provide outdoor activity access and raise awareness of river health.2026–27Dorchester
- Buy Star Fish Market for community centerPurchase the closed Star Fish Market in Egleston Square and turn it into a community center and gathering space for neighbors in all weather.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- More BCYF pilates classes and locationsExpand the number and locations of BCYF classes, especially pilates which sell out quickly, including at Leahy Halloran, to offer affordable exercise.2026–27City-wide
- Open Roche Center to more community programsMake the Roche Center more public and welcoming, with advertised programs for all ages, so West Roxbury and Roslindale have a shared gathering and learning space.2026–27Roslindale
- Repair basketball court on Southwest Corridor ParkwayThe resident asks for repair of a basketball court on the Southwest Corridor Parkway near Lamartine Street, which would benefit people of all ages.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- More basketball courtsBuild more basketball courts so everyone can enjoy playing basketball.2026–27DorchesterSubmitted in Korean
- Hot tub at Mirabella PoolAdd a hot tub at the North End's Mirabella Pool so swimmers can warm up after cold-water swim lessons and neighbors can socialize.2026–27North End
- Indoor public pool at Hyde Park BCYFConvert the aging outdoor sprinkler area at the BCYF Hyde Park Community Center into an indoor pool, since the neighborhood has none and the nearby YMCA is costly.2026–27Hyde Park
- Frisbee golf nets at a city parkInstall frisbee golf nets at a city park as a cheap and accessible recreation activity.2026–27Roxbury
- Outdoor exercise equipment in city parksInstall outdoor fitness equipment in city parks so residents in all neighborhoods have free access to exercise equipment.2026–27Roxbury
- More basketball courtsResident asks for more basketball courts so everyone can play.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Better fencing at Pagel soccer fieldResident asks for redesigned fencing at the Pagel soccer field in Jamaica Plain because balls hit neighboring houses daily, easing tension between residents and the youth who use the field.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Free outdoor activity rentals in East BostonResident asks for easy-access outdoor activities in East Boston, such as kayaks and pedal boats in summer and sledding and snowshoes in winter, via lottery or free rentals for lower-income households.2026–27East Boston
- Repair rain-damaged gym floor for basketballResident asks to repair a gym floor damaged by rain so the community can return to playing basketball and staying active together.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- New gym floor, AC divider and bleachersResident asks for a new gym floor, air-conditioning divider and bleachers to keep youth away from gun violence.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- New gym floor, AC divider and bleachersResident asks for a new gym floor, air-conditioning divider and bleachers at a facility that gives people a safe place to play sports and stay off the streets.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Repair community center gym floor and dividerResident asks to repair the community center gym floor and divider so families of all incomes keep access to affordable sports and healthy activity.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Repair gym floor and dividerThe resident asks for the gym floor and divider to be repaired to improve safety and accessibility so people of all backgrounds have equal recreation access.2026–27Jamaica Plain