Green Giant

"I'd like to see the Boston public school system become again what it once was, a democratic model for the entire country. The arts, in particular music, should play a major role in educating children."

- ROBERT PINSKY, 66, POET, CAMBRIDGE

In a quiet corner of the Financial District called Winthrop Square, a city-owned garage has stood in the shadows of its towering neighbors for decades. But within five years, that corner will be home to the biggest change the city's skyline has seen since the Hancock Tower opened back in 1976. At 75 stories, developer Steve Belkin's skyscraper, Trans National Place, will be much more than one more tall building. The plan calls for a 1,000-foot tower of glass supported by columns, allowing for a huge new park modeled on developer Norman Leventhal's design of Post Office Square.

More from Boston 2017:  The Big Dig's Payoff  In 10 years You Will Be Able to...  On the Waterfront  Green Giant  America's Science City  See the Future  A Wheel for Our Spokes   Dining (Way) Out  Getting Cultured  The Global in the Local

Other elements of the environmentally sensitive design: an open-air park on the roof; reflectors that direct sunlight to ground-level public space; external elevators to whisk visitors to the top floors; even a supermarket and underground parking garage. The final design is still a few months away, but the plan hints at the future of Boston development. In the words of Belkin, it is "a project driven by unprecedented public spaces and an innovative, environmentally friendly design."