LAWRENCE ON THE MOVE!
Mayor Sullivan, chief executives of
“Gateway” cities form alliance
for an urban agenda
BOSTON - United in their desire for
economic renewal, the chief executives of
11 Massachusetts cities signed a
proclamation last month forming an
alliance to address the challenges and
opportunities inherent in their aging
economies.
Named “the Gateways Compact for
Community and Economic Development,”
the partnership hopes to draw investment
to communities outside of Boston while
providing benefits such as housing,
infrastructure and workers to all of
Massachusetts.
“For cities like ours, which share a
common industrial past and a desire to
make new economic connections, the
Gateways Compact offers a shared vision
for sustainable economic development,”
said Mayor Michael Sullivan,” who
signed the petition along with Mayors and
Chief Executives from Brockton, Fall
River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke,
Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford,
Pittsfield, Springfield and
Worcester.
The signing ceremony at the Old State
House in Boston was sponsored by MassINC
and the UMass Dartmouth Urban Initiative,
partners in enabling the Alliance.
“We’re here in our state’s
capital to emphasize to our partners in
the Legislature and the Governor’s
office that this new urban agenda not
only strengthens our communities, it
offers a platform for addressing
state-wide economic issues that are
causing the Commonwealth to lose jobs and
industry to other states,” said
Mayor Sullivan.
Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, who is
the former Mayor of Worcester, praised
the Gateways Compact, saying that the
shared circumstances of these cities and
their potential for renewal requires a
collaborative and concentrated
effort.
“Govenor Patrick and I
enthusiastically recognize the Gateways
City Compact and the value that these
communities have to our overall
economy. The action items that the
group has identified today are important
to the Patrick administration and we look
forward to seeing the results of this
collaboration in the form of increased
investment, more jobs, and a better
quality of life across the board.”
The partnership on local economic
revitalization stems from recommendations
outlined in last year’s
MassINC/Brookings Institute report “Reconnecting
Massachusetts Gateway Cities: Lessons
learned and an agenda for Renewal”
which studied the economic status and
potential of 11 traditional mill
communities outside of Greater
Boston. Named the “Gateway
Cities” for their historic role in
attracting foreign workers, these
communities were found to suffer
significant job and investment losses
from the decline in manufacturing over
the last three decades while gaining
little traction in Massachusetts’
thriving but limited “knowledge
economy.”
According to MassINC’s report, since
1970, the 11 Gateway Cities studied lost
more than 11,000 jobs or 3 percent of
their job base, while Greater Boston’s
gain of 467,000 jobs reflected a growth
of 51 percent. Gateway Cities are
home to 30 percent of all Massachusetts
residents living under the poverty line,
even though they account for only 15
percent of the state’s
population. Education attainment
levels remain low with just 16.5 percent
of Gateway city residents possessing a
four-year college degree.
The report’s recommendations also
offered a promising challenge to these
urban areas and the state to use these
economic conditions as advantages,
recognizing that Gateway cities offer
potential assets in terms of middle class
housing, infrastructure to pursue smart
growth, and a growing, diverse work
force. The report recommended seeking
partnerships, like the one with the UMass
Dartmouth Urban Initiative, and with each
other, to bring numbers, focus and
momentum to their efforts.
Through the Alliance, Gateway leaders
hope to combine strategies in areas such
as education, real estate investment,
work force development, and
transportation that bring industry and
residents back into these communities. In
addition to creating a formal structure
that collaborates regularly, the compact
includes (among others) the following
initiatives:
* Work with the Governor, the Legislature
and state officials for a new
comprehensive urban economic development
vision for Massachusetts;
* Provide the Commonwealth with
innovative strategies to address the
state’s housing, infrastructure,
environmental and labor force challenges;
* Market the many opportunities in the
Gateway cities for economic growth;
* Share and embrace best practices in
areas such as public safety, education
and work force development, economic
development and city management.
“It is both unprecedented and
incredibly pragmatic for these leaders to
be coming together with a common agenda
for economic reconnection,” said Ed
Lambert, Executive Director of the UMass
Dartmouth Urban Initiative. “By
combining strategies and experiences on
issues that are so consistent among these
communities, the potential for real
results in this area becomes that much
greater.”
“We commend the leaders of the
Gateway cities for their creative,
collaborative and proactive approach to
reinventing themselves in light of their
economic struggles, said John Schneider,
Executive Vice President of
MassINC.
“The innovation and energy evidenced
by the Compact are indicative of what is
great and promising about these historic
communities.”
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