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Villa Victoria Study Featured on Mayor Walsh's Reading List

Villa Victoria Study Featured on Mayor Walsh's Reading List

As part of his Imagine Boston 2030 initiative, Mayor Martin J. Walsh recently released a recommended reading list designed to, according to the press release, offer “residents the opportunity to learn more about the background on some of the history and concepts that are helping to inform conversations about the future of our city.” We are excited that one of the recommended books is “Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio,” by Mario Luis Small. [caption id="attachment_6926" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Mayor Marty Walsh poses for a photo with Villa Victoria community members during our 2016 Festival Betances. Mayor Marty Walsh poses for a photo with Villa Victoria community members during our 2016 Festival Betances.[/caption] Written in 2004, “Villa Victoria” serves as a local case study to examine how poverty affects social capital—the network of relationships among people who live in a particular area—and whether living in poorer neighborhoods results in negative effects. Through a sociological study of the neighborhood, Small sets out to show that, despite what other researchers argue, poor urban neighborhoods are not necessarily deprived of social capital. At Villa Victoria, our community of low-to middle-income residents is stronger than ever. Our award-winning arts, education and youth development programs have been instrumental in helping residents achieve success. Our top priority at IBA is to create an environment in which residents don’t just live, but thrive together. Imagine Boston brings together stakeholders and residents to determine the priorities that will guide the city into 2030. The goal is to develop a vision for the physical and economic development of Boston that ensures equitable access to innovation, education, health, and arts and culture. We have supported the Mayor’s efforts and we look forward to seeing continued forward movement. We are proud that Villa Victoria has been recognized as such an important part of our city’s history, to serve as a catalyst for conversation about the future of Boston. Support our community building efforts by donation here....