Boston – The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) board has authorized the agency to make strategic investments that include hiring a director of diversity, equity, and inclusion and creating an Equity and Inclusion fund.
“As the agency that plans and guides inclusive growth in our city, the BPDA has a unique opportunity to create a more equitable city for all, especially Boston’s black communities and communities of color,” said BPDA director, Brian Golden.
The director of diversity, equity, and inclusion will work as part of the agency’s senior leadership team to establish collaborative partnerships with all internal and external stakeholders and foster a more inclusive, equitable, welcoming, supportive, and diverse agency.
The agency will also create an Equity and Inclusion fund as part of the BPDA fiscal year 2021 budget. This will fund activities directly related to addressing racial equity and inclusion in the BPDA’s work. The revenue will come from transaction fees from land disposition agreements.
“BPDA staff members spend every day engaging with community members about how our neighborhoods can offer more opportunities for all, and I look forward to growing our team to better focus on and expand this work,” added Golden.
The new position and fund will expand on work already underway. The BPDA uses the citywide plan, “Imagine Boston 2030” as a framework to support equity by creating affordable housing, jobs, and open space in every neighborhood, leveraging funding from large real estate development to support workforce development and training, supporting equitable procurement policies and requiring diversity criteria for developing publicly-owned land.
