The Longwood Collective is the non-profit organization that provides indispensable programs and services in Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA). Our activities and initiatives support the area’s world-renowned organizations and make it easier to live, work, study or receive care here.
The Longwood Collective was established in 1972 as MASCO (Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization) at a time when rapid development had led to significant traffic and parking challenges in the LMA. Recognizing an opportunity for greater collaboration to address these and other challenges in the area, the leaders of several local institutions decided to establish a group that would transcend organizational boundaries and focus on the best interests of the area as a whole. The 11 founding members pledged to work together to solve “problems related to inefficient land use, parking, traffic, and duplication of services…”
For over a half-century, the Longwood Collective has promoted a greater sense of community among our member organizations and offered programs and services that are more efficiently and effectively developed through collaboration. These efforts have demonstrated that the LMA is better when our members work together on matters that affect everyone in the area – issues such as access, sustainability, cost-savings, emergency preparedness, infrastructure and area planning.
The impact of this collaboration can be seen all around the LMA:
- Vehicle and pedestrian signs that define the area and help guide drivers and walkers to their destinations
- Bus shelters, benches, bicycle racks, outdoor recycling bins, and solar-powered trash compactors
- A fleet of 37 shuttles reducing traffic congestion by carrying employees from off-site parking to the worksite and from remote offices to main campuses
- Expanded commuting alternatives – carpools, bike-sharing, and improved public transit service
- Preserved and renovated green space, including enhanced public landscaping
- A joint emergency preparedness program
- Convenient childcare options
- Coordination of construction-related issues that could cause traffic delays
- Better access for walkers, bicyclists and transit riders
- Cost-saving contracts for elevator maintenance and repair
- Coordinated area planning that considers issues of access, sustainability and the needs of the overall area
The Longwood Collective and its family of organizations – which include MASCO Services, Inc. and the Longwood Medical Area Child Care Center – are proud that these efforts have enabled the LMA to become a thriving hub of medicine, education, research and culture and have helped establish the area as a vital economic engine for the city and the state.
The Longwood Collective's role as stewards of the LMA is more important now than ever before, as we work together to ensure a thriving and dynamic LMA for years to come.
Established in 1972, The Longwood Collective is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area at 375 Longwood Avenue, Boston. The Longwood Collective family of organizations includes the Longwood Medical Area Child Care Center, MASCO Services, Inc. and the Colleges of the Fenway.