Throughout history, the Dutch have been world famous for reclaiming land and space. Most recently, the Dutch have been leaders in incubating space to create new jobs and creative industries for students, artists, entrepreneurs and startups to flourish. There are lots of best practice cases from Amsterdam demonstrating how the Dutch are able to quickly turn derelict properties into more productive and profitable districts. See: Amsterdam Broedplaatsen (creative industry hotbeds)
To help Boston develop a vision and plan to activate vacant City properties, Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell together with Wentworth Institute of Technology (and other local industry leaders) will organize a high-impact event, learn from the Dutch experience, develop a series of strategies that will identify and analyze underutilized or blighted properties in Boston’s Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods and develop short-term solutions to address the issue. These solutions are meant to make connections among people, inspire action, showcase what is possible and heal the urban fabric. This Exchange Lab is a 24hrs hands-on workshop using digital tools and strategies of relevant data collection, applying design thinking, and immersion techniques, and rapid prototyping.
Teams comprised of community leaders, local architectural designers, urban planners, data scientists and entrepreneurs will quickly prototype relevant solutions paving the road to incentivization of investment and ownership, fostering community involvement and documenting/testing suitable pop up solutions.
Properties
The hardest hit areas are found in Boston’s District 4 (Mattapan, Dorchester, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain areas) where many city owned parcels, private parcels, and business rentals / storefronts have been abandoned over the last 5 to 10 years. In this district alone, local businesses are experiencing a 25% revenue drop due to these vacant storefronts or derelict parcels.
Click on the property icons to see actual parcels and zoning details.
For more information go to the Zoning Viewer from the Boston Redevelopment Authority
Municipal Properties
Vacant commercial or industrial properties owned by the city
Private properties
Properties that are existing residential home, apartments or store fronts
Concepts
Students design and develop simple, temporary solutions for a real location w/ a viable business plan
Tech & Science
Living Lab – Energy
Clean Tech Sandbox
IoT & Sense-maker lab
parkour and other extreme urban sport parks
Tech flea MKRT
repair cafes
Community Makersmarkt & Makerspaces
3D print building & sculpture lab
Drone Delivery Hive
Fab & Wetlab park
Segway, Self Balancing Unicycle, Hoverboard derbies
Green Concepts
Bike Share Hub
Green Roof-top camping
EV charge cluster
Secret Gardens (DIY horticulture, botanical, medicinal gardens etc)
Neighborhood solar and battery park (energy assistance)
blue roofs showcase
Mais Maze
Animal Shelter trucks
Butterfly Garden Center
Mushroom Farm
Community Chicken Coup Co-Op
Objectives
While Boston’s real-estate market is booming, one of the biggest threats to local businesses and community vitality remains urban blight or as the city of Boston calls it: “Problem Properties.” The hardest hit areas are found in Boston’s District 4 (Mattapan, Dorchester, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain areas) where many city-owned parcels, private lots, and business rentals / storefronts have been abandoned over the last 5 to 10 years. In this district alone, local businesses are experiencing a 25% revenue drop due to these vacant storefronts or derelict parcels. Seen as eyesores, public safety hazards, and crime magnets, abandoned houses and properties represent not only a real financial drain but contribute to fragmentation and community isolation.
Boston requires bold new solutions to fix these problem properties for local residents and businesses.
22-23 March 2019
Thank you for your interest in the City Lab!
At this point, we are at capacity, but encourage you to sign up for the waitlist, in case seats become available. In addition, we will keep you posted of the outcomes of the day and hope to see you at a future City Lab.
Location: Wentworth Institute of Technology
For more information please contact info@citixl.com or Tom van Arman +31613703135
22 March
Location: Ira Allen Building
Wentworth Institute Of Technology 540 Parker St, Roxbury, MA
| 5:00pm | Welcome | Council Woman Andrea Cambell will welcome participating teams to event |
| 5:15pm | Introduction of District 4 Properties | A brief introduction from community leaders about the challenges and characteristics of the area |
| 5:30pm | Amsterdam Broedplaatsen Toolkits | Case-studies from Andrew McCue about how artists, startups and communities have catalyzed clean tech hot-beds in Amsterdam to inspire teams. He will be offering handy tools to kick start problem properties by applying cutting edge circular economy tools such as “Urban Metabolism Scans” and “Urban Mining Programs” |
| 6:00pm | Spelregels “Rules of the game” | Tom (CITIXL) will explain the format, goals and guidelines for event |
| 6:30pm | Match Making (Team making) | Paul(CITIXL)will assit match make the teams consisting of designers, entrepeneurs and community leaders |
| 7:00pm | END DAY 1 | Final questions and Answers. Teams can take break until Saturday 23 March @8am or continue on! |
23 March
Location: Center for Engineering, Innovation and Sciences
Wentworth Institute Of Technology 540 Parker St, Roxbury, MA
| 9:00am | Doors open (w/ Breakfast) | |
| Development | Invites design and business experts from the community will offer additional mentorship and support to teams | |
| 12:00pm | /// LUNCH BREAK /// | Brief growth-hack tips from Martijn Braamhaar (Project Management Bureau) about how artists, startups and communities have successfully intubated thriving locations in Amsterdam to inspire teams |
| 3:00pm | Pitch Training (Mandatory) | essential presentation training tips to help team perfect their pitch to the expert panel |
| 4:00pm | FINAL PITCHES | Teams will give 5 pitches + 5 minute feedback from an expert panel comprised of policy makers, developers, & designers who will assess solution based on 1) Originality 2) Economic Viability 3) Social Sustainability 4) Environmental Sustainability |
| 05:00 pm | Reception | Refreshments & Networking |
The Organisers
Andrew moved to Amsterdam to join Metabolic as a sustainability consultant for the industries team, where he uses his experience in agrifood to help businesses and communities feed themselves and heal the planet. Andrew’s driving passions are for food, cities, and people. His interest in different food systems stemmed from a fascination with other languages and cultures, and his dual degree in French and Religion from the University of Vermont provides a unique, holistic perspective on our relationship with what we eat.
CITIXL is a private public partnership creating “Exchange Labs” between Amsterdam’s City CTO office and international partner cities. These “Exchange Labs” promote best practices and catalyze vis-a-vis bottom up citizen-led co-creationof ideas and solutions to real city-wide challenges.