Survival Guide to Living and Staying in Roxbury

The Survival Guide to Living and Staying in Roxbury from Reclaim Roxbury is both a storytelling and practical information project on the current and past fights for community land development, how to develop land, and how to apply for rental and homeownership opportunities. Roxbury is a rapidly gentrifying, predominantly Black, working-class community in Boston. The multimodal document will serve as a conversation starter within the community, to help connect people to advocacy resources and share their own stories. The guide will help with creative community building, using art and storytelling to enhance community planning.

While the overall project is still in progress, the team has already begun using components of it—especially the 3D printed model of Roxbury—in meaningful ways. The model is displayed in Reclaim Roxbury’s office and, during community meetings and workshops, it has supported dialogue around land development, neighborhood change, and community-driven planning. It also sparks conversations about specific development projects in Nubian Square and how Reclaim Roxbury’s community standards have influenced them.