Today, the City of Somerville, MA, and LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors publicly released the results of the progress made to date, as well as the next steps, in the Union Square Strategic Planning and Community Benefits process, a public-private partnership between LOCUS and the City.
The recommendations report identifies a series of priorities for ensuring that social equity goals are interwoven with development goals as the city’s Union Square neighborhood undergoes redevelopment centered around the planned MBTA Green Line light rail extension. Shared priorities including displacement prevention, affordable and attainable housing, jobs and workforce development, sustainability, open space, small businesses supports and more, are identified.
In an innovative plan for implementation, the report also calls on the City and residents to create a place-based management organization to play a role in ensuring that Union Square development balances economic growth with meeting the neighborhood’s needs for jobs, housing, open space and transportation that is accessible to all.
“Rapid gentrification of the urban core—especially the walkable, transit-accessible core—is a serious concern for cities nationwide. We need innovative approaches now to help us ensure those who want to live in walkable communities have the opportunity to and those who already live in these areas are not displaced,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville, MA. “We’re proud to have LOCUS’ help facilitating the discussions around this work.”
The community benefits process in Somerville, MA, is the pilot of LOCUS’ Attainable Housing and Social Equity Initiative, a place-based approach designed to help cities develop public and private strategies to encourage economic growth while ensuring accessibility and social equity in great walkable urban places.
“Across the country, the market demand for walkable communities is driving up housing and commercial costs, and with the recent influx of private investment, what we’re seeing in Somerville is no different,” said Chris Leinberger, president of LOCUS. “Somerville’s efforts to develop a place-based approach at the beginning of the planning phase that will not only encourage economic growth but also ensure accessibility and social equity will be a national model for communities across the country facing the same obstacles. LOCUS looks forward to continuing to work with Somerville as we enter this next phase.”
Since the pilot launch in July 2015, the City of Somerville and LOCUS have worked together to create a safe space for the general public, local community groups, businesses and stakeholders to communicate ideas and feedback on strategy planning process in the development of Union Square. A key aspect of the process was the selection of local Strategy Leaders, a team of 30 volunteers representing a broad cross section of the Union Square community who would be tasked with creating this first-of-its-kind public and community benefits strategy for the neighborhood.
The next phase of the Strategic Planning and Community Benefits process will narrow in on a series of short- and mid-term actions around these priority areas and create a community process to explore and create a place-based management organization for the development of Union Square. This organization, once established, would be able to make sure development in Union Square balances economic growth with the neighborhood’s need for jobs, housing, open space and transportation that is attainable and accessible to all. The process will be facilitated by LOCUS.
As part of its Attainable Housing and Social Equity Initiative, LOCUS plans to work with a number of other cities throughout the United States to develop individualized approaches to managing social equity. Read more about LOCUS’ Attainable Housing and Social Equity Initiative.