Somerville's Urban Exodus

Gerald Gamm's article "Urban Exodus" is quite interesting. Although I am not quite familiar with the "suburbanization" of Somerville, I feel that a lot of what Gamm talks about relative to Dorchester and Roxbury can be applied to the area of Somerville. In 1971, a staff member of the New York Times stated, "We believe that the set of events in Boston illustrates what is going on all over America. The rapid white exodus from Boston had become a national symbol of the urban crisis." Basically places like Dorchester and Roxbury were seeing a lot of racial movements, with the white population moving out and immigrants moving in. However, "left behind are the poor who cannot move and those working-class and middle-class families who have chosen not to."

I feel that this is the same case with Somerville. According to Wikipedia, Somerville has a mix of blue collar Irish-American, Italian American and to a slightly lesser extent Portuguese American families. Although I am not certain, I can guess that through time there was a white exodus, with white people moving out, and immigrant families from Brazil, Haiti and El Salvador moving in (as is what we see today).

Likewise, another point that Gamm makes in his article is the fact that most centerless suburbs fell apart. However, he felt that "churches and synagogues have helped define the centers of discrete communities" and therefore, have helped to keep these towns together. I feel that in the area of Somerville, churches and synagogues might help to keep certain religious entities together, but the town of Somerville. Somerville is known for its high crime rates, slum-like areas, and especially high theft rates. Likewise, sources state that the creation of the Red Line in-to Somerville in 1985 caused a dramatic "gentrification," especially in the area between Harvard and Tufts University. It was also accelerated by the repeal of rent control in the mid-1990s. Residential property values approximately quadrupled from 1991 to 2003. "This has led to tensions between long-time residents and recent arrivals." I can clearly see how this could happen, and it relates to Gamm's point about having a center to keep the community intact. I feel that the Redline does the opposite, although sounding silly that a subway could make this impact.

Suburban Development

In Gamm's boom he refers to the cities of Roxbury and Dorchester as "streetcar suburbs" and discusses how the expansion of transportation in those areas changed the dynamic of the communities. Specifically, traditional community centers were removed and in their place, streets were laid. I think that this is an idea that is worth looking at from the perspective of Medford and Somerville. Current plans are to expand the green line of the T to additional parts of Medford and Somerville, including areas by Tufts. Many community members wonder how this will change the dynamic of the communities. If the Medford and Somerville areas become a hub for commuters, will the traditional groups that have lived in the area be forced out? Will the dynamics and interactions between people change? And, to bring this back to what we are working on in class, how will this change the sense of social responsibility in the area, and how can our map help? Perhaps new, younger families will move into the area and develop their own community, but it is just as possible that young people will gravitate to the area for its newfound convenience to the city and not for a neighborhood with a strong sense of community.

Response to Gamm's "Urban Exodus"

I was fascinated by the Gamm article and the transitions that Boston has been through. I was somewhat familiar with the Catholic perspective, but did not know much at all about the Jewish and Black movement. I am especially interested in the idea that different community groups or organizations affect the behavior of their members based on how the institution is set up. Because the Catholic Church is centralized and organized vertically, resources are allocated to specific geographical areas, rather than to a fluid congregation.

I am interested in Gamm's exploration of St. Peter's school, as it does not seem to follow the pattern he outlines in the rest of the article. If migration was so much slower and more disruptive, what has brought about the diversity that the school's enrollment shows, and the need for a bilingual sign displays. St. Peters community has transformed from a homogeneous Irish-Catholic parish to a diverse community who also identify with the parish.

Another idea put forth by Gamm is that social contexts (church or club memberships) shape political ideologies of individuals. I agree with this to some extent, but I associate more with what Robert B Putnam is quoted as saying that the mere existence and activity of community groups fosters a sense of 'trust, cooperation and civic engagement.' I think that this ideology is precisely what the mapping project will examine and foster. People in Somerville may be engaged in some group, but when an individual can see that their group is tied to so many others within the same city, I believe a more significant sense of community and responsibility can develop. For example, if someone is involved with a group, and regularly volunteers there, and they see that that group is connected to another, they may engage themselves in the second groups events or causes.