Studio for Physical and Human Development Planning Opens at the Chinatown Storefront Library

BOSTON, MA. October 14, 2009 - With over a hundred people in attendance at the grand opening celebration of the Chinatown Storefront Library [1], it was the ideal opportunity to welcome the community to the Chinatown Human Development Studio (“The Studio”).  The Studio, a research and planning resource dedicated to serving the entire Chinatown community, will be the direct service venue for the Chinatown Human Development Overlay District (HD-OD) [2] project.  Only minutes after opening, dozens of visitors were already examining several bilingual posters outlining the Studio services that will be offered starting October 15, 2009.  Others were looking a map of future physical development in and around Chinatown.

Download the full release [3] [pdf, 26 kb]

The Studio offers residents and small business owners assistance in gaining skills, support, and knowledge to help them improve their lives by taking advantage of development opportunities.  Over the next few months, The Studio will offer workshops and events that highlight Chinatown’s future development projects, social service partner activities, and data resources [4]. Studio visitors will be able to drop in to browse through Chinatown maps or planning documents, get information or referrals to specific services offered by partner agencies, or seek help to plan for the future of their family or business.  A bilingual Studio staff member will be on hand to provide assistance Tuesday and Wednesday 4-6 pm, Thursday 1-3 pm, Friday 2-5 pm, and Saturday 10-2 pm.  

Chinatown HD-OD is a multi-year collaboration between the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).  The goal of Chinatown HD-OD is to help Chinatown families, individuals, and small businesses understand, anticipate, and adapt to changes in the area generated by high-impact, large-scale developments.  Launched in June 2008, Chinatown HD-OD has partnered with several local agencies, including the Asian American Civic Association, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Chinatown Main Street, South Cove Community Health Center, and the Chinatown Storefront Library, with support from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Jobs & Community Services. 

The Chinatown HD-OD project is possible through the support of the Environmental Simulation Center (ESC), a New York-based nonprofit linking cutting-edge technology with community planning, in partnership with the Ford Foundation; the Boston Foundation; Liberty Mutual; and the Storefront Library.  Chinatown HD-OD continues to seek funding and support from local foundations, municipalities and the community to keep The Studio open into the future.  As The Studio is currently housed in the temporary Storefront Library, finding a permanent location would create a stable institutional asset to the Chinatown community and the city at large.

Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) is a 22-year old community based non-profit organization serving the Asian American community of Greater Boston by developing affordable housing, promoting economic development, fostering new leadership, and building capacity within the community through education, advocacy, and action.  Established in May 1987, ACDC works with the community to realize a common vision of vibrant, healthy and just neighborhoods.  The organization has developed over $100 million of mixed-income housing in Boston’s Chinatown and operates a portfolio of complementary community development programs geared towards the Asian community. 

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is a regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in Metropolitan Boston. An independent state agency, MAPC’s mission is to promote smart growth and regional cooperation, which includes protecting the environment, supporting economic development, encouraging sustainable land use, improving transportation, bolstering affordable housing, ensuring public safety, advocating for equity, and fostering collaboration among municipalities. MAPC staff work to advance the agency’s mission through technical assistance to cities and towns, data analysis and mapping, research, collective purchasing, public engagement, and public policy advocacy. Visit http://www.mapc.org/ [5] for more information.
Note to Editors: Please visit www.hdod.org/boston [6] for more information about the project framework.  To access the Snapshot and the Chinatown DataCommon [4], please visit www.asiancdc.org/ [7].

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