UEPodcast Episode 2: Boston’s Wicked Problem

This is the first of a two episode mini-series by recent Tufts graduates Celia Bottger and Kaili Chen. Celia and Kaili were inspired to produce these episodes after taking Professor Julian Agyeman’s “Developing Sustainable Communities” course in Spring 2020. In this episode, they discuss the history of racial inequity in Boston, and how urban planning policies have reinforced racial segregation in Boston’s neighborhoods. Then, in a discussion with Jose Barros of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, they learn how members of this Dorchester neighborhood are actively redressing these inequities through community-owned neighborhood development. 

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Celia Bottger is a recent graduate of Tufts University from Redding, Connecticut. She received her B.A. in International Relations and Environmental Studies, with a focus in Sustainability, Policy and Equity, in May of 2020. Post-graduation (and post-pandemic), Celia hopes to work at the intersection of social justice and climate resilience to support community-based solutions to the climate crisis around the world.

Kaili Chen is a 2020 graduate with roots both in and “just outside” of Boston. She received her B.S. from Tufts University with majors in Biology and International Relations, concentrating in Global Health, Nutrition and the Environment. Committed to leveraging work that starts locally, Kaili seeks out custom-fit and comprehensive innovation to address inequities persistent in our healthcare and food systems.

DSNI

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E-mail: urbanvillage@dsni.org

Phone: (617) 442-9670

Jose Barros is the Community Organizer and Planner for Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. A longtime resident of the Dudley Street Neighborhood in Dorchester, Jose has been working with DSNI for the past 24 years to increase civic engagement, ensure sustainable development, and foster cultural diversity in the neighborhood.

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Listen to the second episode of the mini-series, “Boston’s Commons, Reclaimed,” here.

Download a transcript of this episode: