Gateways

This week on Gateways, Ben and Tracy look at how Gateway Cities are responding to the spread of coronavirus. As Ben says, “One of the special things about Gateway Cities is they have, in their DNA, resiliency.” They discuss examples of how cities like Worcester and Fall River are shifting their attention to actions to help the homeless and frontline healthcare and service workers in these unprecedented time.

We then hear how Lawrence has risen to the occasion as Ben speaks with Derek Mitchell, founding executive director of the Lawrence Partnership. They discuss how the "Immigrant City" banded together to tackle the 2018 Columbia Gas explosions in Merrimack Valley, when homes and businesses were destroyed. The economic effects of that disaster linger today as coronavirus shutdowns descend on the city. Mitchell emphasizes the power that comes from trusting working relationships between businesses, public officials, and individuals, which helped his community in 2018 and will certainly be of aide as the spread of COVID-19 takes its toll.

3/10/20-- This week on Gateways, Tracy and Ben talk about how to convert Gateway City TOD from transactional to transformative through equity, the subject of an upcoming MassINC report. Tracy and Ben kick off the conversation with an assessment of Governor Charlie Baker's unveiling of An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth - an economic development bill that promises opportunities for equitable and sustainable growth, especially in Gateway Cities.

We then hear from Glynn Lloyd, the director of the Foundation for Business Equity, an organization dedicated to helping Black and Latinx entrepreneurs reach their full growth potential. He joins Tracy to talk about two important elements of his work – connecting entrepreneurs with creative capital and providing smart advice. Gateway Cities represent vast opportunity for small businesses to thrive and for the cities themselves to prosper -- but that requires equity. Glynn and Tracy dig into all of that and more.

This week on Gateways, Tracy is joined by Denny Zane, Executive Director of Move LA. Having lived in Massachusetts, Denny is familiar with the unreliable public transit that Commonwealth riders deal with on a daily basis. He discusses with Tracy how Regional Ballot Initiatives (RBIs) can provide more predictable and reliable revenue streams for long-term projects. Denny knows this from experience: his organization helped raise tens of billions of dollars by passing LA county's Measure R via ballot initiative in 2008. As Bay Staters, especially Gateway City residents, grapple with underfunded public transit and maddening traffic congestion, RBIs offer relief and hope.

2/11/20-- In this episode of Gateways, we visit Holyoke to talk pre-k expansion in the Student Opportunity Act era. Ben speaks with leaders behind Holyoke’s successful pre-k expansion program: Amy O’Leary of Strategies for Children, Steve Huntley of Valley Opportunity Council, and Steve Zrike, Holyoke Public Schools Receiver and Superintendent.

2/4/20-- With the current crisis, many people are seeking alternatives for providing efficient, equitable, and sustainable transport to Massachusetts residents. In no other place is this struggle more apparent than in our Gateway Cities. As part of our Transformative TOD initiative at MassINC, we’re learning lessons from other regions about what’s possible.

This week on Gateways, Tracy returns from a visit to Washington, D.C., where she attended the National Conference of Mayors and heard about transportation models far and wide that could potentially serve as something for our Commonwealth to aspire to. The first person Tracy spoke to happened to be a familiar face – Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, who took note of bold action Los Angeles residents have taken, using a regional ballot initiative to reduce crippling road congestion. Then, French politician and former French Minister of Public Works Anne-Marie Idrac, shares a look into France’s public transportation funding system which partly relies on the versemont transport, a regional payroll tax championed by employers.

U.S. Conference of Mayors panel on evolving mobility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHWrz1gVMDQ&feature=youtu.be

1/29/20--This week on Gateways, Ben learns about the role of street workers in public health focused youth violence prevention efforts. UTEC’s Geoff Foster, Nichelle Sadler, and Leslie Rivera share their experiences as street workers. With more funding becoming available to provide coordinated services to underserved youth, they explain how the role is evolving, and how UTEC is partnering with community-based organizations across the state to exchange knowledge and improve practices.

1/21/2020-- This week on Gateways, Ben sits down with real estate developer Dave Traggorth of Traggorth Companies, whose developments can be found in multiple Gateway Cities. The two talk about the pros and cons of building near transit, and Dave explains how he uses tools like the Housing Development Incentive Program to get his projects done. Plus, Tracy Corley drops by the studio to talk about even more resources developers can utilize.

1/14/2020-- This week on Gateways, we look at the state of local journalism in Massachusetts. Bruce Mohl, editor of CommonWealth, joins to talk about the struggle many local news outlets face, calling this era of reporting a "low point," and urging private citizens and lawmakers alike to recognize the severity of the situation. Then we talk with two New Bedford residents, Colleen Dawicki and Jacob Miller, who give firsthand accounts of the diminishing news presence in their community. Together they describe how other like-minded folks are coming together to find solutions for New Bedford.

1/7/20: This week on Gateways, we bring you our very first bilingual episode, featuring two Lawrence High School graduates and former Early College ESL students, Elvianna De Jesus and Emeli Diaz. They discuss the ways in which Early College set them up for success, allowing them to earn college credit before even entering college, connecting financial aid resources, and empowering them to seek their full potential.

During the Gateway Cities Innovation Summit & Awards, our host Tracy got to speak with some of the awardees who are working toward realizing all the potential our Gateway Cities offer. Nick Giaquinto served as chief of staff for late Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter. Nick accepted the award on behalf of his boss, who he describes as having been a tireless servant to the city.

Rob May reveals the ingredients to his infamous "7-layer dip," a combination of city planning tools and services that function to catalyze growth. Mickey Northcutt of the North Shore Community Development Coalition discusses the evolution happening in Salem's El Punto neighborhood, pointing to the 2017 installment of the Punto Urban Art Museum. Christopher Coes, the keynote speaker at the Awards, remarked on the potential that Massachusetts has to boost up its Gateway cities, urging, "Don't mess this up."