OWNERSHIP
CONDITIONS
CONTEXT
HISTORY
DESIGN ISSUES
SOCIAL ISSUES
TESTIMONIES

Click here for map and orthophoto

Click here for data from census tract 1001 (From U.S. Census 2000).

OWNERSHIP:
-- Lucerne Community Garden: Boston Natural Areas Network
-- Parking Lot on Ashton, Lucerne, Woodrow and Balsam: Faithful Church of Christ
-- Vacant lots: for the most part, the City of Boston

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CONDITIONS:
Today, the streets of this Dorchester neighborhood – once known as the most blighted in the city of Boston – are lined with neat rows of homes in good condition. However, in the 1970s, this section of the Franklin Field area was characterized by large tracts of vacant land, crime, and illegal dumping.

Housing:
Habitat for Humanity was among the first developers to build new housing in the area. Then, in the early 1990s, Trinity Financial real estate development firm along with the minority-owned Winston Lucerne Partnership built 45 attractive wood-framed housing units with pitched roofs and porches ("Rock Bottom Boston," The Boston Globe, Jan. 17, 2002). Some of these were reserved for formerly homeless families. Others had a Section 8 designation that provided vouchers for families qualifying for subsidized housing. Still other units were sold at market rate. Two smaller housing developments were also constructed in the area in the early 1990s.

Lucerne/ Balsam Streets Garden:
A well-tended, securely fenced community garden on Lucerne Street has contributed to the revitalization of the neighborhood. The garden stretches almost an entire block between Lucerne and Irma Streets. The surrounding community is invested in keeping the garden productive and in good condition.

Faithful Church of Christ:
Finally, the Faithful Church of Christ on Woodrow Avenue has developed a section of vacant church property into a well maintained, landscaped parking area with the capacity for several dozen cars. The church has also provided services to the community, such as health education classes. 

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CONTEXT:
Local resources:
Blue Hill Avenue is a major thoroughfare that runs just to the west of this section of Dorchester. Several small businesses such as corner groceries and liquor stores are within a block or two of the Lucerne garden. Franklin Field, the Sportsman Tennis Center, and the Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club are easily accessible to the neighborhood.

Demographics:
According to the 2000 Census, the census tract that includes this neighborhood (as well as the neighborhood immediately west of Blue Hill Avenue) was 75% black, 24% Hispanic (may include more than one ethnic group), and 6% white in 2000. Almost 37% of residents of residents were 18 years of age or under, indicating an unusually large youth population in the area.  About 77% of residents rented their homes, 32% of residents lived below the poverty level, and the median household income was $23,524.

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HISTORY:
In the 1970s, the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Boston demolished numerous vacant buildings in the Franklin Field area, leaving large swaths of open land such as eight acres between Lucerne, Arbutus, and Balsam Streets. In 1977, the City described Arbutus and Balsam Streets as the most blighted streets in Boston (1977 Neighborhood Profile Reports). Through the mid-1980s, this neighborhood was dumped on regularly. The vacant land attracted other types of crime, including drugs, prostitution, and violence. The housing, garden, and church developments described above each contributed to the transformation of the area.

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DESIGN ISSUES:
Vacant lots have been a major problem in their area over time. Although in 2002 there were relatively few problem lots, the City of Boston still owns some of the land in this community, such as two lots on Ashton Street that are across from one another, neither of which is listed on the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) inventory of available property.

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SOCIAL ISSUES:
Despite major improvements, according to area police, crime continues to be a problem in the neighborhood. Boston Police Department statistics show that public safety has improved in the area in general (police district B3). Between 2000 and 2002, monthly comparative total crime statistics showed a decrease in crime from 2000 to 2002 and a decrease in crime from 2001 to 2002 for every month except for January, May, and June 2002, when there were slight increases in crime.

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TESTIMONIES:
"I think [the Lucerne community garden] did something for everyone who built it. We didn't have a clue that we could make that big of a difference" (Boston Urban Gardener who built the Lucerne Community Garden in the mid- 1980s).

"These new homes will literally change the face of an entire neighborhood. These homes will be attractive and affordable to families who, in some instances, will pay less than $500 a month for the chance to own their own homes" (Lisa G. Chapnick, public facilities director in 1988, "City land designated for low-cost housing," The Boston Globe, Dec. 31, 1988).

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