Arts

History talk tackles today's hot-button topic

by Michele D.  Maniscalco
Friday Mar 11, 2016

Having presented his fourth and latest book, "Boston's South End: The Clash of Ideas in a Historic Neighborhood" at the South End Historical Society and the South End Branch Library last fall, South End-based author and academic Russell Lopez gave his March 6 book talk at a venue that resonates deeply with its subject: More Than Words at 242 East Berkeley Street, located in the former footprint of the New York Streets, a long-lost South End residential enclave whose demolition under urban renewal figured prominently in Lopez's talk. More Than Words, a non-profit book and media store headquartered in Waltham, provides youth who are homeless, in foster care or involved with the courts and family services with employment, career development and life-skills training. South End denizens of all ages and lengths of residency filled the seats, listening with rapt attention as Lopez shared excerpts from his book, anecdotes and additional background on Boston's post World War II urban renewal program at this pivotal moment when reauthorization of urban renewal zones is being discussed among the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the City Council and concerned residents.

Lopez, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, talked at some length about urban renewal philosophy in the postwar 20th century, its implementation in the South End and the landscape it left behind. According to Lopez, a 1954 amendment to the city development laws allowed areas that were formerly residential to be redeveloped for other purposes, clearing the path for the city to reclaim and level residences for redevelopment. The city hoped to prevent industry from fleeing the city for the Route 128 suburbs by offering the Harrison Avenue and Albany Street area for industrial development due to its highway and railroad access. Lopez pointed out that there were a few industrial concerns such as The Boston Herald, Graybar Electric and Quinzani's and a lot of open space, leaving the area desolate in the evening and inhospitable to nightlife. Lopez described the mid-1950s school of thought that dense housing and narrow streets should be replaced with apartment blocks and wider, more car-friendly thoroughfares, which would provide a more healthful environment. Lopez noted that while the clearing of the New York Streets predated the destruction of Boston's West End, the West End's demise has been more documented, with only a few authors such as New York Streets native Mel King talking about the disappearance of his neighborhood. Lopez noted that paradoxically, the city ordered the leveling of thousands of homes in the South End, then pointed to the significant loss of population to justify its redevelopment plans.

Lopez discussed the prominent role of non-profit community service organizations in the South End and the mix of lower and moderate-income as well as luxury housing and population, reporting that approximately 5,000 of the South End's approximately 17,000 housing units are Boston Housing Authority owned or other income-tied housing. He said he was surprised to learn that the model of mixed-income housing that is successful in Boston has failed in other cities. "Living in a complex that is one-third, one-third, one-third: affordable, moderate and market rate, I was shocked to find out that in many parts of the country, it doesn't work. In some place like Atlanta, they built a [mixed-income] complex and the market-rate people didn't want to move in." He continued, "Where I live, we all feel grateful. The Section 8 people feel grateful because it's a nice place; the moderate-income people are grateful because they are teachers, firefighters and postal workers and they can afford to live the South End and people like myself got a deal because it is still cheaper than a lot of the South End." The discussion also touched on the South End's Villa Victoria and nearby Tent City and their history as grassroots-generated led affordable housing developments.

More Than Words launched in Waltham in 2004 and opened its East Berkeley Street location in 2011. Jodi Rosenbaum, founder and CEO of More Than Words, was pleased with the event's outcome and the outreach that More Than Words achieved. She commented in a follow-up e-mail, "We had about 50 people in attendance and we were delighted by the turnout. It was truly a testament to Russ' book, the community of the South End, and our amazing youth at More Than Words that it was such a stellar event. We believe More Than Words is powerfully situated to grow and be a bridge in the South End, especially amidst all the great wealth and development and the enduring economic and social needs in the community. We were grateful for the opportunity to host this event and share how relevant MTW is to the community as a "missing middle": a bookstore that brings people together with our youth at the center."

While Lopez will continue promoting "Boston' South End" with appearances at the MIT Women's League on March 14 and at The History Project at 29 Stanhope Street on March 24, he is already working on a new book, a history of Boston from 1945 forward.