The still unmet needs of Allston/Brighton residents

Copernicus Consulting presented this Survey Report at last night's Harvard Allston Task Force meeting about the community survey conducted over the summer. There really weren't any surprises - we want our children to have better educations, better access to medical care, better parks and facilities for physical fitness, safer streets, opportunities for adults to learn English and other skills, and more.

So what, if anything will come of this? These are not new needs and in the past 10 years as the BRA has watched Harvard purchase and shut down a huge part of our neighborhood, neither of them has done much to meet any of these needs. Three years ago Harvard and the BRA did acknowledge them in the North Allston Strategic Framework, but actual progress is hard to find.

I'd suggest that we focus on the details of Harvard's impending IMP and what that development will do to make a better neighborhood instead of drawing our attention prematurely to some "goodies" that may or may not ever materialize.

Harvard Crimson story - Survey Results Met with Doubt