Breaking Barriers: A report by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission’s Breaking Barriers Report

In the spring of 2021, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission focused its attention on ways to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion on the Metropolitan Region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. 

The Commission conducted this inquiry in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a national conversation on race, as protests against police brutality and systemic racism were breaking out across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. These two factors shaped the conversation and our perspective on the importance of our beaches to all the residents of the region, of every race, age, nationality, and ability. 

The Commission’s initial goal was to find ways to improve access to our public beaches for people of color. However, at the suggestion of several Commissioners, the inquiry broadened to include people with disabilities and people who do not speak English as their first language, many of whom also do not enjoy equal access to the benefits of our more than $5 billion investment in clean water and better beaches. 

Over a period of 18 months, the Commission held four public hearings focused on overcoming obstacles to beach access for people of color, people with disabilities, and people who do not speak English as their first language. The report contains our findings and recommendations, which we hope will serve as a blueprint for improving beach access going forward. Below are the appendices which are referenced throughout the report.

Read & download the Breaking Barriers report here.

Report Appendix