Intervention #1Reckon with past and present harms.
The problem
In its not-so-distant past, Boston has wielded development and “redevelopment” as a weapon against poor, working class, historically marginalized, and communities of color. Boston has a fraught history of “solving crime” or “cleaning up” neighborhoods by wiping them clean of populations deemed problematic and replacing them with wealthier and whiter Bostonians. Historically we’ve seen entire working class neighborhoods, such as the West End and Columbia Point, wiped out, permanently displaced, and replaced in furtherance of “redevelopment” or “revitalization.” Today, all across Boston, gentrification is sweeping through working class Black neighborhoods, displacing lifelong residents who can no longer afford rising rents and high property taxes.
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 the Boston Redevelopment Authority/Boston Planning and Development Agency. This truth-telling is an essential foundation for building trust between the BPDA and Boston’s historically marginalized communities. In order to write a new, more inclusive, and anti-oppressive narrative in Boston as it relates to development, we must honestly deal with past harms.
“If we’re talking about BPDA building trust within communities, we can’t do that without first being honest about the harm that has been done to communities in Boston and the practices that continue to marginalize Black and brown people and communities.”
— Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna, StarLuna Consulting, PCGN Core Team Member
What can be done
IDEA 1Hold space for community storytelling
Many Bostonians have been impacted negatively by development in Boston. BPDA should create and support spaces for Bostonians to share these experiences and be listened to by agency staff, city officials, and even developers.
IDEA 2Be honest and transparent about past harms
Be public about Boston’s participation in efforts like urban renewal and the impacts on residents. Put these stories on the agency’s website. Point directly to changes in policies and practices to prevent further harm.
IDEA 3Cultivate awareness and skills among staff
Everyone who works for the BPDA should understand the historical and social context within which they are operating. All BPDA staff should go through a highly contextualized training about the history and effects of development in Boston, centering stories of those most affected. This training should be combined with racial equity training so that all staff are equipped to view their work through a lens of equity, whether they interact with residents directly or not.