Dudley Street's kids 'on the job'

Fifteen years ago, the Dudley Street neighborhood -- one of the poorest in Boston -- was lined with shuttered buildings and vacant lots. It looked like the many inner-city neighborhoods that were forgotten when economic investment left the cities for the suburbs. Now, thanks to a resident-led initiative, Dudley Street's new affordable homes, community center, pocket parks, public transit station and farmers' market bustle with activity.

The secret to the transformation is the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, a grassroots coalition that reflects the community's diversity. With help from foundations, DNSI closed down the illegal dumps and hazardous waste sites that plagued the neighborhood. The group then transformed 600 abandoned parcels into homes, gardens and public spaces. The two affordable housing developments include smart-growth features such as homes clustered close together to make the most of open space, front porches that invite gathering, classic city sidewalks that encourage walking, and narrow streets that keep traffic at safe speeds. The initiative also successfully campaigned to reopen the local train station, which had closed in 1986. Now the residents have the link they need between their burgeoning community and the rest of the city.

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Photo: Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative