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.

Transforming transport planning in the postpolitical era

“…Urban transport planning is weakly linked to progressive conceptions of participatory planning. Within urban scholarship, the spaces dedicated to theorising the role of citizen participation in transport implementation are limited (Molina Costa, 2014). This absence stands in stark contrast to the expansive body of theoretical and empirical research within the strategic planning literature that examines the relationship between citizen participation and policy decision making (Albrechts, 2013; Healey, 1997; Innes and Booher, 2010).…”

Sustainable and Integrated Urban Planning and Governance in Metropolitan and Medium-Sized Cities

“…This can be seen by the constant presence of these goals in all the analysed urban development plans. One explanation advanced is the lack of or insufficient organizational capacity and mobilization of entities and agents, as well as the insufficient financial resources, that have hampered the impact of the initiatives [42]. However, this does not mean that the planned interventions did not contribute to improving certain deprived neighbourhoods in Évora.…”

“…Far from signalling the end of the urban planning operation, the implementation phase presents the opportunity to translate the strategic priorities and objectives into actions. This translation from plan to reality [42] is not without its difficulties. In this regard, the Barcelona ISUD incorporates a concrete plan for its implementation by relating the defined eleven challenges (see Section 4.1) and fourteen action measures (Table 3).…”