Constant Comment

Jeffrey Goodman
October 29, 2010
Where do you go with a good idea?
How are you informed about planning issues?
How are you connected to government?
Do you think your idea will be received?
Urban Renewal: The End of the West End

There goes the neighborhood

 Post-Urban Renewal: Singular Successes

Dudley Neighbors Inc. land trust Villa Victoria & Iquilinos Boricuas en Accion
How are you informed about planning issues?
 How do we interact with City Hall?

? ?
Unclear Unclear
Information Decision
Flows Process
 Relationship to Neighborhoods
REVERE
EVERETT
CHELSEA

BELMONT
SOMERVILLE

Charlestown
Charlestown
East
East
Boston Boston
WATERTOWN
CAMBRIDGE West North
North
End End
Allston Beacon End
Allston Beacon Downtown
Hill Hill
Brighton Fenway
Chinatown
Bay
Back Village
Brighton
Fenway Bay
Kenmore South
South South
South
End Boston Mission End Boston
Mission
NEWTON
BROOKLINE
Hill
Hill
Roxbury
Roxbury
Mid Jamaica
Jamaica Dorchester
Plain Plain

Dorchester
Dorchester Mattapan
Mattapan Roslindale
Roslindale West Roxbury
West Roxbury

Neighborhood
Hyde Park Location Location of Neighborhood Coordinators
17 Coordinators The Neighborhood Coordinators and liaisons facilitate
the delivery of services in collaboration with city
29 Neighborhoods departments and serve as a primary contact for
650,000 People constituents to communicate with the Mayor's Office.

Jack Kelly
16,000

Average
36,000

Lauren Smyth
81,000

= 1,000 people
 Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee Meeting
October 4, 2010

Attendance Arrangement Engagement

Developers
Committee Members Committee Business
Govʼt Representatives Presentations
Community Members Public Comments
Me
Ferdinandʼs Furniture Building
City
Hall

A history of promises 2.5 Miles

Dudley
Square

Washington St.

Dudley Square
Bus Terminal

Gateway
to Roxbury
A Building of Questions without Answers

What is this building?

Why is it abandoned?
Who is in charge here?
Where is that office building?
Why canʼt I use the sidewalk?

?
How can this be redeveloped?
What was planned in the past?
Why hasnʼt anything been built?
Where can I suggest something?
Is this even a priority?
When are decisions being made?
Where are these meetings?
Can we tear this thing down?
What Is Going On Here? The City of Boston
Office of the Mayor

Recent History Five Points

1896: Constructed 1. The building is contaminated with asbestos and needs
extensive renovation that engineers estimate will cost:
1975: Abandoned

2004 - Gov. Mitt Romney ends commonwealth commitment to $8 Million

building a government office building on site, a plan that representing 38% of the Cityʼs budget for Roxbury.
dated back to Gov. Bill Weld. In response, Mayor Thomas
Menino vows to seize site for the City of Boston, including
the building as part of the Dudley Square redevelopment.
2. The market for office space is weak right now in
Boston, especially in Roxbury where there is:
2004 - Mayor Menino proposes a new 1200-employee city office

35% vacancy
here, putting the Boston Redevelopment Authority in
charge of planning the investment.
compared to 28% in the rest of Boston.
2006 - Eminent domain closes for $6.5M, and the site becomes
city property.

3. Any renovation of this building would benefit the local

2008 - Mayor Menino plans “greenest government office economy, as the BRA estimates:
building in America,” a seven-story complex that includes
shops, offices, and public space worth $80M.
140 jobs
could be created here. Not all would necessarily go to
2008 - Roxbury residents and Mayor Menino hold a ceremonial Roxbury residents.
groundbreaking for the office building. In order to prepare
the site for construction, the lot is cleared of all other
buildings.
4. Even with the City owning this building, any project
2008 - An international architecture competition begins for this would take time to be built. If the City started tomorrow,
site, but as the financial crisis deepens, the City asks the site could take:
the architects to reduce the buildingʼs size, then cancels
the competition.
3 years
to develop. Economic conditions may or may not have
Name: FERDINAND’S FURNITURE STORE Assessed Value
Boston (avg.)
improved.

Parcel ID: 0903139000 Ferdinand’s

5. A development the size of the 2008 plan would bring
Address: 2262 WASHINGTON ST, Boston, MA, 02119 in, by bus and car:
Property Type: Exempt
Lot Size (sqft): 13827 4,000 people
Owner (01/01/10): BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 2000 2010 each day, worsening traffic but helping businesses.
Yo Menino! Tell the mayor
how you feel.

How could this building make Dudley Square a better place?

What would you like to see here?
Are there more important issues in your neighborhood?
Mayor Menino

Calls: 617 - 635 - 3485 dudleyblue@

Texts: 617 - 962 - 7553 cityofboston.gov

cityofboston.gov/ymp Fridays 11am - 3pm

#DudleyBlueStore Shelburne Com. Ctr.
So, Whatʼs Next? The City of Boston
Office of the Mayor

More Comments Until

59 The Next Meeting

Community Meeting:
 Yo Menino!
Yo Menino!
Yo Menino! Yo Meni
no!
Yo Menino! What’s U
p?

What Is Going On Here?

Yo Menino!
The City of Boston

Recent History
Office of the Mayor

Five Points
Tell the mayor
how you feel.
So, Whatʼs Next? The City of Boston
Office of the Mayor

1896: Constructed 1. The building is contaminated with asbestos and needs

extensive renovation that engineers estimate will cost:

More Comments Until

1975: Abandoned

59
$8 Million
How could this building make Dudley Square a better place?
2004 - Gov. Mitt Romney ends commonwealth commitment to
building a government office building on site, a plan that representing 38% of the Cityʼs budget for Roxbury.
dated back to Gov. Bill Weld. In response, Mayor Thomas
Menino vows to seize site for the City of Boston, including

What would you like to see here?

The Next Meeting
the building as part of the Dudley Square redevelopment.
2. The market for office space is weak right now in
Boston, especially in Roxbury where there is:
2004 - Mayor Menino proposes a new 1200-employee city office
here, putting the Boston Redevelopment Authority in
charge of planning the investment. 35% vacancy Are there more important issues in your neighborhood?
compared to 28% in the rest of Boston.
2006 - Eminent domain closes for $6.5M, and the site becomes
city property.
Mayor Menino
3. Any renovation of this building would benefit the local
2008 - Mayor Menino plans “greenest government office economy, as the BRA estimates:
building in America,” a seven-story complex that includes
140 jobs
Community Meeting:
shops, offices, and public space worth $80M.

2008 - Roxbury residents and Mayor Menino hold a ceremonial

could be created here. Not all would necessarily go to
Roxbury residents.
Calls: 617 - 635 - 3485 dudleyblue@
groundbreaking for the office building. In order to prepare
the site for construction, the lot is cleared of all other
buildings.
4. Even with the City owning this building, any project
Texts: 617 - 962 - 7553 cityofboston.gov
2008 - An international architecture competition begins for this would take time to be built. If the City started tomorrow,
site, but as the financial crisis deepens, the City asks the site could take:
the architects to reduce the buildingʼs size, then cancels
the competition.
3 years
to develop. Economic conditions may or may not have
Name:
Parcel ID:
FERDINAND’S FURNITURE STORE
0903139000
Assessed Value
Boston (avg.)
improved.
cityofboston.gov/ymp Fridays 11am - 3pm
Ferdinand’s
5. A development the size of the 2008 plan would bring

#DudleyBlueStore Shelburne Com. Ctr.

Address: 2262 WASHINGTON ST, Boston, MA, 02119 in, by bus and car:
Property Type: Exempt
Lot Size (sqft): 13827 4,000 people
Owner (01/01/10): BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 2000 2010 each day, worsening traffic but helping businesses.

No new
taxes!
Yo
Who is
going to
fix our
Yo
Menino!
Menino! schools?

Yo Menino!
Whatʼs

Oye
Menino!
¡Trabajos
Trabajos
Trabajos!
Yo
Menino!
with all
the
crime?
 Differing Views on Information Structure

ORGA NIZATION OF CITY GOVERNMENT

Non- Mayoral

City Clerk
Office of the Mayor CITIZENS OF BOSTON (appointed by City C
o uncil)
Chief of Staff (1) Intergovernmental
Corporation Counsel (1) Relations City Council
Office of Emergency Neighborhood Services (elected position)
Preparedness (1) Office of New Bostonians
Chief of Policy and Mayor Office of Public Information Finance Commission
Planning (1) (appointed by Governor)

Licensing Board
(appointed by Governor)

Office of the Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer Boston Public Library
Labor Relations Graphic Arts
Human Resources Management & Information Services
Registry Division

Housing &
Public Health Public Works & Economic Environmentand
Education Finance Public Safety Public Property Human Services Neighborhood
Commission (2) Transportation Development Energy
Development

Boston Property &

Boston Public Assessing Fire Boston Housing Public Works Redevelopment Neighborhood
Construction Environment Civil Rights
Schools Authority* Authority/Economic Development
Management
Development
Industrial
Auditing Police Transportation Commission * Open Space Planning Boston Centers for
Parks & Recreation
(3) Youth & Families

Boston Residents
Budget Management Job Policy Office Consumer Affairs & Elderly Commission
Inspectional Services
Licensing

Small & Local

Purchasing Business Enterprise Arts, Tourism & Veterans' Services
Office Special Events

Emergency Shelter
Treasury
Elections

Women's
Commission
Retirement Board *

* Not In Operating Budget Youth Fund

(1) Has cabinet rank.
(2) The Boston Public Health Commission is an indepe ndent authority created in June1996.
Problems

(3) Programmatically within this cabinet; financially in Parks & Recreation

Services

Neighborhood

From Residentsʼ Perspective From Governmentʼs Perspective

Black Box Delivery Resource Allocation
 Neighborhood-based Structure

ORGA NIZATION OF CITY GOVERNMENT

Non- Mayoral

City Clerk
Office of the Mayor CITIZENS OF BOSTON
(appointed by City C
o uncil)
Chief of Staff (1) Intergovernmental
Corporation Counsel (1) Relations City Council
Office of Emergency Neighborhood Services (elected position)
Preparedness (1) Office of New Bostonians
Chief of Policy and Mayor Office of Public Information Finance Commission
Planning (1) (appointed by Governor)

Licensing Board
(appointed by Governor)

Office of the Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer Boston Public Library
Labor Relations Graphic Arts
Human Resources Management & Information Services
Registry Division

Housing &
Public Health Public Works & Economic Environmentand
Education Finance Public Safety Public Property Human Services Neighborhood
Commission (2) Transportation Development Energy
Development

Boston Property &

Boston Public Assessing Fire Boston Housing Public Works Redevelopment Neighborhood
Construction Environment Civil Rights
Schools Authority* Authority/Economic Development
Management
Development
Industrial
Auditing Police Transportation Commission * Open Space Planning Boston Centers for
Parks & Recreation
(3) Youth & Families

Boston Residents
Budget Management Job Policy Office Consumer Affairs & Elderly Commission
Inspectional Services
Licensing

Small & Local

Purchasing Business Enterprise Arts, Tourism & Veterans' Services
Office Special Events

Emergency Shelter
Treasury
Elections

Women's
Commission
Retirement Board *

* Not In Operating Budget Youth Fund

(1) Has cabinet rank.
(2) The Boston Public Health Commission is an indepe ndent authority created in June1996.
(3) Programmatically within this cabinet; financially in Parks & Recreation
Problems

Services

Neighborhood

Accountability

Resources
From Residentsʼ Perspective From Governmentʼs Perspective
Black Box Delivery Resource Allocation

Move Neighborhood Coordinator

New Physical Interface

Physical presence of city government in neighborhood

Mutual problem-solving
Transparency across structure
 Neighborhood-based Structure

Product Other Neighborhoodsʼ

Manager Product Managers

Outreach General Public &

Neighborhoods

Coordinator Local Groups

Service City Departments

Manager
 Decision-Making
On the Ground & In the Lab

Grama Sabha participation strategy, India Effective leadership and decision-making in

groups on the move, I.D. Couzin, Nature (2005)