Creation of an Urban Village:
The Journey of the Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative

John Barros and Jason Webb

On Thursday, February 3rd, 2006, the Community Land Trust of the Southern Berkshires held its annual meeting and hosted John Barros and Jason Webb, two dynamic young leaders of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.

Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) is one of the most innovative and well-respected planning and organizing nonprofits in the country.  Founded in 1985, DSNI has lead the revitalization of Boston's poor but diverse Dudley neighborhood.

In 1988, DSNI became the only community group in the nation to win eminent domain power to acquire vacant land for development.  Since then, approximately half of the 1,300 vacant lots it took control of have been converted into nearly 300 new homes and 300 rehabbed homes, a Town Common, gardens, urban agriculture, a commercial greenhouse, and parks and playgrounds.  The Fannie Mae Foundation recently selected Dudley as one of the 10 "Just Right" emerging neighborhoods across the country for increasing affordable homeownership while attracting capital investment.

John Barros, a lifelong Dudley resident, was elected DSNI's Executive Director in 2000 after the departure of Greg Watson.  In 1991, John was, at age 17, the first young person elected to the DSNI Board of Directors, triggering a more visible, active presence of youth across the organization.  He was one of the co-founders of the youth committee - Nubian Roots - and the designer of a prominent neighborhood mural.  After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1996, John served as Vice President of the DSNI Board and of Dudley Neighbors, Inc. the community land trust created to assure permanent affordable housing. 

Jason Webb is the Director Of Operations of the community land trust Dudley Neighbors Inc. Jason has worked at DSNI since 2001, staffing the community land trust and the community planning functions around physical and economic development.  In addition, he has played a significant role in DSNI's internal technology capacity as well as the use of technology innovations in the community building process.  He has assisted in various youth development activities and the annual Multicultural Festival.  Jason joined the DSNI staff after a long history of involvement as a dedicated resident volunteer, dating from the age of seven.  He was a co-founder of Nubian Roots Youth Committee, and served on the boards of both DSNI and Dudley Neighbors, Inc. 

The talkl took place at 7:30 PM at the First Congregationalist Church at 251 Main Street, Great Barringtion, MA, and followed a short meeting of the Community Land Trust of the Southern Berkshires.  The topic of the talk was be "The Creation of an Urban Village: The Journey of the Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative."

Co-sponsors include: Berkshire Co-Op Market, Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Center for Ecological Technology, Community Development Corporation of the Southern Berkshires, Construct, E.F. Schumacher Society, Friends of the Du Bois Homesite, Great Barrington Land Conservancy, The Orion Society, Railroad Street Youth, Sheffield Land Trust, Tri-Corner Community Development Coorporation, Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail.