Any growth has been difficult in this economy, and smart growth more than most, admitted organizers at the first annual Great Neighborhood Summit sponsored by the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance.
Last year, the alliance received a grant from the Ford Foundation to launch the Great Neighborhoods initiative. The group selected Lawrence, Winchester, Somerville, Roxbury, and the Fairmont Corridor in Boston as communities with active local development efforts to aid. The initiative helps the communities with planning, lobbying, public relations and fundraising to support smart growth goals like affordable housing, green space near public transportation and commercial and residential development near transit.
The Fairmount Corridor project has three stage one projects under construction, with nine more in pre-development, for an eventual 428 units of affordable housing and 94,000 square feet of commercial space. Lawrence has created 60 units of affordable housing, and the Somerville group has come to an agreement with city government on a plan to create an additional 6,000 units of affordable housing over the next 20 years.
But even with the alliance’s boost, local groups have found it tough sledding. Despite widespread support at the state level for smart growth and mixed-use developments, municipalities have proved more resistant. And budget problems at the local, state, and federal levels-particularly the MBTA’s sea of red ink-have stymied several projects, which need funding for transit-oriented development.
"It’s too difficult to do mixed-use," said Andre Leroux, executive director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance. "The cookie cutters that we have to use are not conducive to creating these kinds of developments."
Based on the first year’s experience, Leroux said, one of the group’s initiatives for the upcoming year will be attempting to bring various groups together more effectively to develop comprehensive strategies to deal with the similar challenges they face.
The alliance also plans to add four more cities to the Great Neighborhood initiative and will announce those selected at the end of the week.
