Neighborhood Revitalization "Our quality of life depends on strong neighborhoods. Somerville and Cambridge's squares and main streets were once the heart of strong communities. We need to create main streets and neighborhood squares where people can walk to buy groceries, go out to eat, do errands, and connect to their communities."

Building Community, Street by Street

• We have too many empty storefronts - not just biotech buildings, but Mom & Pop storefronts on Broadway and in Union Square in Somerville, on Hampshire Street in Inman Square and on Cambridge Street in East Cambridge. We need to steer low-interest loans to small businesses to help kick-start the local economy. East Somerville businesses need funds to improve their storefronts.



• We need to create civic activities to bring old and new residents together. New development should be built carefully to serve both the old and new community members.



• The diversity of our community is one of its greatest assets. We must maintain a commitment to affordable housing so working families and seniors can afford to stay here.



• Somerville and East Cambridge have far too few parks. We need to look for opportunities to reclaim old land and vacant buildings for neighborhood parks, and plant trees where feasible to beautify our community.
   
• For too long, highways and unused rail lines have divided our neighborhoods. With new development, we have an opportunity to reconnect East Cambridge, East Somerville, and Charlestown. We must make sure that the enormous North Point community is planned well to benefit everyone.



• I believe in Smart Growth: promoting housing development to meet a wide range of incomes; designing communities where neighbors can easily walk to the services they need, and safe, attractive, healthy neighborhoods in which people can live.