From plan to reality: Implementing a community vision in Jackson Square, Boston

Abstract

Research on collaborative planning has mainly focused on visioning stages, while little attention has been paid to the implementation of the resulting plans. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing the implementation of collaborative neighborhood redevelopment, given the context set by neoliberal political economy and its particular effects in urban governance. The exploration is conducted through a critical analysis of the redevelopment of Jackson Square, a low-income area in Boston where community development corporations are leading redevelopment after a vision was crafted through a participatory planning process. Through the analysis of the changes in the plan and the role of the community, the nonprofit sector and the local state in the implementation phase, this research argues that the effects of responsibilization are seriously burdening the nonprofit sector, which may be acting as a buffer between the community and the local state. The research also highlights the importance of addressing financial feasibility during the visioning phases and keeping the community engaged during the implementation of the plans.

Keywords::

• collaborative planning
• community development corporation
• governance
• neighborhood redevelopment
• neoliberalism
• responsibilization

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Susan S. Fainstein, Brent D. Ryan, and Isabelle Angelowski for their valuable advice and feedback at different stages of this research. The comments from the journal's reviewers were of great help in refining the paper as well.

Notes

^1. These are not equivalent concepts: communicative planning theory is one of the theoretical bases for collaborative planning, which is a form of practice that also includes considerations of place and institutional design (Harris, 2002, p. 29). However, since they share a common base that has been subject to debate, here they have been grouped together.

^2. Emphasis added.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patricia Molina Costa

Patricia Molina Costa is an architect (MArch, UPM, 2005) and urban planner (MSc, MIT, 2011), currently writing her PhD dissertation about the implications of urban regeneration policies and governance models in Boston. Her research and practice have focused on urban regeneration, community engagement, and the effects of neoliberal policies in urban planning.