BOOK 13: Streets of Hope by Peter Medoff and Holly Sklar

I had tried to read Streets of Hope previously, but this project was good motivation to pick it back up. This is the story of the rebirth of the Dudley Triangle in Roxbury. I had struggled to get through the book previously because, though the story is dramatic, the presentation here is more sociological study than emotional re-telling. Residents and community agencies came together to stop illegal dumping, arsen for profit and decades of neglect by city services. They came together at the table realizing that shared strength was the only viable route to putting a stop to everything that was tearing their community apart. They got the attention of some funders and put together an organizaion--the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative that would go on to rebuild the community one vacant lot at a time.

This book is a good read for anyone who is interested in an urban neighborhood making a comeback. but it was especially cool for me to know a good percentage of the people mentioned in the book. I have walked these streets and seen some of the 1300 units of housing they've added over time. I've been to DSNI community meetings as we've planned the Kroc Center and seen the richness of a diverse group of people working toward a common goal.

I encourage you to push through some of the dry early portions to read this story of triumph.