Liveable Streets - have a drink and think about it a minute

[Kevin Wolfson] wanted to pass on an invite to a LivableStreets StreetTalk this coming Wednesday. LivableStreets hosts these talks about once per month, and this month Fred Kent will be speaking. He is the founder and president of Project for Public Spaces, and a world-renowned expert on human behavior in the urban environment who worked with William White on the book The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. There are some more details below.

Because one of the goals of the Casey Overpass project is to create a neighborhood around Forest Hills with destination-worthy public spaces, Mr. Kent's talk is especially relevant.

Feel free to pass this invite on to anyone who might be interested!

Wed, June 22, 4:00 - 7:00 pm (talk 4:30-5:30, followed by happy hour)

@ LivableStreets office, 100 Sidney St, Cambridge

CPCAY Update - Thanks Henry!

On Monday, June 13th City Councilor Matt O'Malley, chair of Environment and Health Committee, held a public hearing concerning the Arborway Yard. A number of people testified on the current environmental hazards of the "temporary transit facility", including representatives of the CPCAY, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, the Jamaica Pond Association, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, the Franklin Park Coalition and the Stoney Brook Neighborhood Association. Testimony also centered on the MBTA's broken promise to build a permanent transit facility and to turn over 8 acres of the site to the City of Boston for community development. Councilors O'Malley, Tito Jackson and Council President Stephen Murphy all made strong and eloquent statements about the MBTA 's responsibility to fulfill its promise and commitment to the neighborhood and the City to fund the construction of the facility. The Mayor's office was represented by Jim Hunt , as did Representative Liz Malia, who has been an extraordinary supporter of the CPCAY for the past 12 years.

Jim Hunt cited one positive development: in a meeting with the Mayor a few weeks ago the Secretary of Transportation and the MBTA general manager conveyed that they had identified a source of possible federal grant funds for the construction of the transit facility. The CPCAY and our elected officials will be following up on this possibility over the next few weeks.

Many thanks to all of you for your continued support.

Henry Allen