How will the urban ring impact airport related economic activities and low income communities in Chelsea?

Abstract

There are two actions that are currently most relevant to the future economic development of Chelsea. One is the Compact signed by Six Cities - Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, Brookline and Boston in support of the Urban Ring. This led Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to conduct the Major Investment Study of the Urban Ring Proposal. Second is the agreement signed in August 1998 between the City of Chelsea and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to attract airport-related businesses to locate in Chelsea. In the context of these two agreements, my thesis sought to answer two questions. 1) How will the Urban Ring impact the low-income communities in Chelsea? and 2) How will the Urban Ring Impact the Airport Related Business? This thesis evaluates the impact of the Urban Ring Proposal mainly in terms of employment for the low income residents of Chelsea. I used maps produced by combining the census data with the spatial and network analysis tools in Arcview (Geographic Information System) to draw a picture of Chelsea. Additionally, I applied information obtained from interviews with local community organizations, and the information from the city office and the Massport. I looked at how the Urban Ring addresses Chelsea's oldest problem of poor public transportation connection to the rest of Boston. The lack of reliable public transportation has serious implications for the low-income communities in Chelsea. One third of the population do not own automobiles and more than two-thirds work outside Chelsea. Based on my finding, this thesis concludes that the Urban Ring would increase the opportunities for employment for Chelsea residents, by improving the connection to other cities and major employment centers along the Urban Ring Corridor. My thesis suggests that the Urban Ring will not impact the location of Airport related business. It also establishes that the location of airport related businesses will not necessarily provide a high number of new jobs for Chelsea residents. Most Chelsea residents will continue to work outside Chelsea and a large proportion of them will depend on public transportation. For these reasons, I argue that the Urban Ring would benefit Chelsea. Finally, I establish a set of recommendations that the City of Chelsea and community organizations can take to increase employment opportunities for Chelsea's low-income residents until the Urban Ring becomes a reality.