Dot Future elements

Dorchester today: Layered stories of diverse groups interact with the European history defined by access to Boston

Freedom Trail, MyTown: Active preservation practice of a “collective” story linked with a profitable present

Alfredo Jaar, Skoghall Konsthall, Sweden: A proposal for a future improvement creates a void in the event of its destruction
Lost in Translation
Core issues according to Dorchester residents
• stigmatization
• crime
• youth violence
• lack of familiarity among different ethnic groups
Boston’s “best way to allocate the $5 million Mayor Menino has set aside to en-
hance Dorchester’s unique districts and nodes” [BRA, Dot Avenue Action Plan]:
• streetscape guidelines for consistent look along [Dot Ave]
• traffic / streetscape improvements at 3 sites
• smaller improvements at 5 locations
A 13-person resident task force led to this plan - how?
• task force leader with family connection to mayor
• task force members ‘informed of’ rather than informing plans
• ??? - research
Idea to action
How can a community be driven
to design its future narrative and
consistently uphold its ideals as it
negotiates with reality?

Conventional approach:
school
Idea to Action

Network approach

Personal approach
Dot FUTURE
How would a community who preserves its future plans as actively as it ac-
cepts its past look?
Dot Ave becomes site of a monument to the future, maintained and controlled by
residents. How/is user-generated input moderated by popular opinion online?

The vacant lot will

be long forgotten,
replaced by.... /more

YES Many stories and perspectives:

Dot Ave. Sidewalk

NO Uniform representation:

Freedom Trail