We can promote greater equity and inclusion through just engagement practices and tools
Explore our 5 ideas for the Boston Planning and Development Agency
How did we arrive at these findings? We held workshops, focus groups, and interviews with residents, community organizations, and BPDA. Read more
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#1 Reckon with past and present harm
As we see all throughout the country, there is demand for honest reckoning with our racist past and present. This demand reverberated through our conversations about development and the BPDA. Leaders from the communities we engaged raised the need for honest telling of the harms done in Boston communities at the hands of the City, and specifically BRA/BPDA. This truth-telling is an essential foundation for building trust between the BPDA and Boston’s historically marginalized communities.
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#2 Co-create standards for engagement with communities
The BPDA has recently created the role of “Community Engagement Managers.” This new role and structural shift opens the possibility for consistency in BPDA staff presence within neighborhoods for both planning and development review. The functions of this new role are largely still to be determined. We think that implementing these community-centered engagement strategies should be central to the functions of this new role.
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#3 Empower and equip community groups as partners
Boston is rich in grassroots infrastructure. Within each neighborhood there are groups and organizations on the ground doing the hard work of building relationships with residents, organizing, and advocating. To effectively build trust and deepen engagement within Boston’s communities, BPDA must consider how to more effectively partner with local community groups.
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#4 Improve community commenting infrastructure
Yes there is a place on the BPDA website where people can comment on development projects while they are under review. However, we continually heard calls for more accessible mechanisms for giving direct input on projects. These mechanisms for providing input should include low-tech options, accommodate for both digital and analog, and prioritize eliminating barriers.
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#5 Create a decision dashboard
How are decisions about development projects actually made? What weight is put on input gathered from residents? How are developers held accountable to responding to community input? What criteria does the Board use to determine if the community engagement process was adequate? These are all questions that have gone largely unanswered. A transparent decision dashboard can change that.