Vivien Li
Board Member
MA Energy Transformation Advisory Board
Vivien Li, Hon. BSA, MA Energy Transformation Advisory Board member
Former AIA Public Director Vivien Li is a nationally recognized leader in waterfront redevelopment, climate resilience, and environmental justice. Vivien headed The Boston Harbor Association for more than two decades, where her advocacy resulted in funding to restore Boston Harbor beaches and water quality, completion of a 43 mile HarborWalk public access system along the Harbor, and public amenities along the waterfront. Early on, Vivien focused public attention and policy on climate change with the first Boston Harbor Sea Level Rise Forum in 2010 and subsequently served on Boston's Green Ribbon Commission. Vivien has degrees from Barnard College, Columbia University, and Princeton University, and has been recognized with the BSA's Commonwealth Award, BSA Women In Design Award of Excellence, A Better City's Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Award, 2025 Emerald Necklace Conservancy's Liff Spirit Award for commitment to public spaces, and an honorary degree from Allegheny College. Earlier this year, UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library released Vivien's oral history, which details much of her planning and advocacy efforts over several decades. Vivien continues her civic engagement as a Barnard College trustee and as a volunteer at local soup kitchens and food pantries in Boston to combat food insecurity as a result of climate change.
Former AIA Public Director Vivien Li is a nationally recognized leader in waterfront redevelopment, climate resilience, and environmental justice. Vivien headed The Boston Harbor Association for more than two decades, where her advocacy resulted in funding to restore Boston Harbor beaches and water quality, completion of a 43 mile HarborWalk public access system along the Harbor, and public amenities along the waterfront. Early on, Vivien focused public attention and policy on climate change with the first Boston Harbor Sea Level Rise Forum in 2010 and subsequently served on Boston's Green Ribbon Commission. Vivien has degrees from Barnard College, Columbia University, and Princeton University, and has been recognized with the BSA's Commonwealth Award, BSA Women In Design Award of Excellence, A Better City's Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Award, 2025 Emerald Necklace Conservancy's Liff Spirit Award for commitment to public spaces, and an honorary degree from Allegheny College. Earlier this year, UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library released Vivien's oral history, which details much of her planning and advocacy efforts over several decades. Vivien continues her civic engagement as a Barnard College trustee and as a volunteer at local soup kitchens and food pantries in Boston to combat food insecurity as a result of climate change.