Our Movement Continues
Community leaders and others founded the Franklin Park Defenders to advocate for Franklin Park and raise concerns about constitutional and public trust protections related to the proposed redevelopment of White Stadium as a professional soccer facility.
Since becoming active, the Franklin Park Defenders have grown to include more than 1,000 community members and 38 neighborhood organizations, representing a broad and diverse network of people who care deeply about the future of Franklin Park. The Defenders’ community leaders continue to meet, organize, conduct outreach, and advocate for the park and the communities that use it.
While the lawsuit over the proposed White Stadium redevelopment has concluded, the Franklin Park Defenders remain an active, community-led group. The relationships, engagement, and momentum built over the past three years provide a strong foundation for continued community involvement and advocacy for Franklin Park.
Want to become a Franklin Park Defender? The easiest way to get involved is to sign the [Franklin Park Defenders Statement of Principles] and join the Defenders’ contact list.
To be added to the contact list or learn more about getting involved, please contact info@franklinparkdefenders.com.
Envision a FULLY PUBLIC White Stadium for students & the community!
The demolition of White Stadium and parts of Franklin Park has already begun, making it more urgent than ever to take action. The City of Boston and Boston Unity Soccer Partners LLC have pushed forward with their expansion and renovation plans for White Stadium without proper environmental review or meaningful community input. There is still time to hault the private-public plan and build a high quality facility for the students & the community.
A FULLY PUBLIC PLAN WOULD:
Cost less than a third of the current $172M+ estimate, leaving $ for other much-needed
school renovations
Allow BPS students to have FULL access every day of the year
Remove the negative impacts of traffic gridlocks, parking restrictions and air, light and noise
White Stadium & Franklin Park Legal Update: Decision Reached
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has reached a decision in our case regarding the future of White Stadium. Please review the Emerald Necklace Conservancy's statement on the decision below. We remain deeply grateful to the many organizations and individuals contributing to the advocacy and protection of Franklin Park.
38 local organizations have joined the Franklin Park Defenders by signing our Statement of Principles:
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ArborwayMatters
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The Black Lotus Cooperative Inc.
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Boston Jobs Coalition
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Canadian Park Training
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Coalition for Regionwide Services Beyond Franklin Park (CORES)
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Community Health Partnerships
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Contemporations, Inc.
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D5 Advocates
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Don Mitchell & Associates, LLC
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The Enviro Show
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FACTS Association/Xchange
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Families for Justice as Healing
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Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard
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Friends of the Notch Forest
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Garden Club of the Back Bay
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Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Council
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Greene & Greene Realty
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Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition
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Methunion Manor Cooperative Corporation
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Power of Skirts Collective
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Quick Erruns
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Roxbury Neighborhood Council
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Trees as a Public Good Network
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The Trustees Collaborative for Parks & Open Space
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The Urban Biodiversity Project
LATEST NEWS
Dorchester Reporter
June 12, 2026
Residents push back on White Stadium parking, transportation plans at heated meeting
A meeting held in Dorchester on Thursday evening (June 11) to discuss parking and transportation issues around White Stadium was contentious at times with residents yelling at city officials on hand to discuss the finer points of their lease agreement with a professional women’s soccer club set to make partial use of the re-built facility in Franklin Park next year.
Dorchester Reporter
June 10, 2026
A ‘fair’ in Roxbury lets residents assess new furniture setup at White Stadium
As plans for the new White Stadium continue to take shape, community members gathered last Tuesday (June 2) to help decide a detail that project officials say will have a lasting impact on how the space serves the people who use it: the furniture.
The Boston Globe
June 8, 2026
The limits of Mayor Wu’s hardball politics
WBZ NewsRadio
June 2, 2026
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy Challenges Boston To Visit All Its Parks
Between now and Sept. 30, the conservancy is asking folks to travel the routes of the parks that make up the Emerald Necklace, which include Franklin Park, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, Riverway, and Back Bay Fens.
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