Cityscape of Boston. Image Source: @rabbit75_cav, Canva Stock
What happens when the principles of the Green New Deal are applied at a local level? The Boston Green New Deal, led by mayor Michelle Wu, may be the most comprehensive example so far. A new Commentary by LNS newsletter editor Jeremy Brecher provides an overview of its first year, including programs for transit, school construction, protection of neighborhoods from flooding, worker rights, affordable housing, and many other initiatives. According to Mayor Wu,
City government is where a Green New Deal means doubling the number of street trees, so we are absorbing storm water, cleaning our air, and bringing beauty to our communities. It means converting our school bus fleet of about 300 diesel buses and another 400 fuel buses over to electric, which will not only get harmful pollution out of the lungs of our kids and out of our neighborhoods, but also tap into mobile charging stations that large electric buses can become in times of power outages.
We can each be a proof point for how big change can happen day by day. And we can create the momentum for state and federal government to really show that we can put forward big changes that deliver immediate impact.
For more, read “The Green New Deal in the Cities – Part 1: Boston”