Civic Vitality

SUMMARY

The recent elections of Boston’s first Asian American City Councilor and Massachusetts’ first African American Governor and first woman Attorney General represent new leadership for Boston and the Bay State. Through new and revitalized organizations like Neighbors for Neighbors  and massnonprofitnet.org , Boston’s nonprofits, businesses and community members are coming together to build the “collaborative gene” that has been missing in Boston. A survey conducted by the United Way shows a majority of Bostonians characterize their quality of life as “good” or “excellent.” However, Boston’s civic health remains challenged by persistent income and educational disparities, stagnant voter turnout, low rates of volunteerism particularly among youth and college age communities, and a leadership corps that does not fully reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the greater population. Challenges of high living costs, providing enough ESOL classes to the near 46,000 adult Bostonians who speak English “less than well” and declining newspaper readership—the traditional bastion of civic discourse—may also deepen existing fault lines in Boston’s civic landscape.

CONTEXT  

Civic vitality refers to the social infrastructure—networks, organizations, institutions, gathering places, bonds of friendship, civic institutions, and ways of accessing and working through information as individuals and communities—that together create a welcoming, informed, and inclusive society. In Boston, this infrastructure includes two major regional newspapers, 25 neighborhood newspapers, more than 100 community newspapers, 24 foreign language publications, a variety of free and public community forums, and the Boston Public Library with its 28 neighborhood branches. In addition, there is a healthy “third sector” of 25,000 nonprofit organizations—ranging in focus from international development to community gardening—and a network of regional, corporate, community, operating and independent foundations with total assets of more than $13 billion. Organizations such as Boston Cares, MassVote, the Civic Engagement Initiative , the New Democracy Coalition and the  Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians as well as neighborhood-based community organizations—from  Project RIGHT in Grove Hall to the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center to the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation—encourage and promote opportunities for civic engagement and participation among all community members.

Key Trends

	Boston’s changing demographics are stimulating a shift in leadership. While the number of Boston’s registered voters is only inching higher, civic participation and voting rates are increasing dramatically among Boston’s residents of color and foreign-born citizens.  Income inequality is widening—a reflection of the region’s knowledge economy: those with more education are gaining while those with less education are falling behind. More »

Accomplishments & Developments

	Recent electoral victories and appointments reflect the “New Boston,” with an unprecedented number of women and people of color taking on leadership roles.  Cross-sector collaboration supported the passing of the Massachusetts Quality Affordable Health Care Act in 2006.  2005 and 2006 exposed a host of election problems for the City of Boston More »

Challenges

	The region’s governmental, civic and business leadership does not reflect the general population, despite progress at the very top. Public budget constraints, fewer corporate foundations and an increase in the number of nonprofit organizations is spreading philanthropic giving thin, despite an increase in philanthropic assets overall.  Fewer contested elections at the local and state level exacerbate declining voter turnout and present barriers to the election of new leaders.   More »

Innovations

	Boston Open Air Network Partnering to provide affordable, reliable municipal wireless on every street.   Boston Metro Innovations - select -Boston Open Air NetworkSomerville 311 Mass Gap, The Massachusetts Government Appointments ProjectThe Non-Profit CenterMetropolitan Mayor's CoalitionThe Commonwealth Seminar National/International Innovations - select -OregonHelpsGoogle.orgAshoka.orgTaking IT GlobalOnline Voting in EstoniaGlobal Nomads GroupBuildingBlocks International Learn More »