The greening of community development : an analysis of ecological restoration and neighborhood planning in the Fenway

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between the built and natural environment in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Separate community planning initiatives to protect the urban watershed and promote a community development vision have improved the physical conditions of the Fenway neighborhood, but have failed to address long-term solutions to restoring a healthy and vibrant urban landscape. Drawing on the theory and practice of sustainable development, this study establishes a framework for analyzing community development and environmental protection issues. Moreover, it addresses the role of neighborhood institutions in forging non-traditional partnerships to meet a set of comprehensive planning objectives. The Fenway case study suggests the potential for two ostensibly independent grassroots efforts to form a more synergistic relationship, in order to promote the linkage between local environmental strategies and community development networks. It concludes by offering a set of recommendations for the Fenway Community Development Corporation and local environmental organizations based on a sustainable development approach to neighborhood revitalization.