Development and implementation of a community planning process for the ledge site in Mission Hill

As stated in the thesis project, "The Ledge Site Community Planning Process was a unique opportunity for members of the Mission Hill neighborhood to develop a vision and plan for the Ledge Site. The Ledge Site, a 9.38 acre parcel overlooking Brigham Circle, is the third largest underdeveloped parcel in the City of Boston. In most major urban settings, the typical approach to real estate development involves the developer (whether for profit or non-profit) who has an idea, owns property, hires an architect, presents a development scheme for permitting approval and holds the required community meeting. Designs may or may not be modified following public comment. Neighborhood residents are generally left out of the process and allowed to react at the very end. The Ledge Site Community Planning Process turned traditional development practices upside down. It started with soliciting the comments of residents on what they wanted to see built, who it should serve, and general concerns about changing the gateway to the community. Altogether, over four hundred participants were involved in creating a financially viable development plan that, when implemented, will create economic development and a new image for the neighborhood. The 25 million dollar development plan established will help to revitalize a depressed commercial district, create jobs and needed goods and services. It brought in technical consultants only when all interested community people had expressed their visions for the Ledge Site. The process demonstrated that individuals working together can have control of community development. It may very well be a model worthy of replication elsewhere. (Library-derived description)Ohlund, G. (1995). Development and implementation of a community planning process for the ledge site in Mission Hill. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.eduMaster of Science (M.S.)School of Community Economic Developmen