“For too long, certain communities have been excluded from critical investments in housing and business,” said Gina Foote, Director of Impact Investment at Conservation Law Foundation. “The Healthy Neighborhood Equity Fund will transform historically disinvested communities with healthy and sustainable housing and small business space. More vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods benefit everyone.”
“As we’ve been saying for years, the state’s MHP process is fundamentally flawed,” said Deanna Moran, Interim Vice President of Healthy and Resilient Communities at CLF. “The developer-driven Downtown MHP would have resulted in less public access to one of the city’s greatest treasures – Boston Harbor. Today’s ruling makes it clear that it’s time to center waterfront planning on public access and community input, not developer profits.”
“The public has a right to know how much value developers are truly gaining when they depart from waterfront rules,” said Deanna Moran, CLF Director of Environmental Planning. “This calculator allows us to put a dollar value on the replacement public benefits offered by developers for the first time. This increased transparency will allow residents and regulators alike to better evaluate new waterfront projects and understand the tradeoffs at play.”
“These regulations impact everyone in Massachusetts, “said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “The state can’t just rubber-stamp its way out of this problem and ignore the tidelands development principles it broke. The public needs to be involved in every step of this process and officials must offer more than just two public meetings. Access to the waterfront is enshrined in Massachusetts law and it must stay that way.”
CLF’s Healthy Neighborhoods Study shows that health goes beyond one’s diet or exercise regime. A healthy community has engaged, active residents who believe they can influence changes in their neighborhood that directly impact their lives. In 2018, our data found that health is linked to social support, housing stability, and even civic engagement and community… Continue reading Researchers Bring the Power of Data Home
We know that where you live matters for your health. Our community partners understand this firsthand because they live it every day. This past summer, the communities that participated in our Healthy Neighborhoods Study – Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan – turned that research data into action by sharing the results to make a difference where they live.
… But the Conservation Law Foundation represents a formidable foe, given its platoon of attorneys and the ease in which it can engage in a legal war. “This is a sweetheart deal for one developer,” said Bradley Campbell, the organization’s president. “We think this is a very dangerous precedent. . . . If this project… Continue reading Environmental Group Takes On Proposed Seaport Tower
