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Boston

Activists Help Boston Rebound With Timely Responses

Boston earned its nickname "The Cradle of Liberty" for its role in the American Revolution, and residents have since kept to that activist tradition. Resident social reformers such as Margaret Fuller, Henry David Thoreau, and William Garrison helped to define the city's character.

One of the nation's first industrial centers, Boston was booming by the mid-1800s, welcoming more than 20,000 immigrants a year. In the late 20th century the city saw its share of familiar urban struggles-the loss of manufacturing jobs, suburban flight, and a rise in crime-but it responded quickly and innovatively, faster than many other cities.

Neighborhood activists fought arson fires in Codman Square in the late 1970s; with help from the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, the activists went on to rebuild their neighborhood. In the 1980s the Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative responded to an affordable housing crisis by bringing together foundations, CDCs, and the United Way in a partnership that was the first of its kind in the country. The Boston Housing Partnership forged a working relationship between banks and government officials that resulted in 700 new housing units-200 more than originally promised-and became a national model.

Today, many consider Boston one of the most livable cities in the country. It benefits from strong technology and health care industries, and the Boston region is the largest center for banking and insurance in the Northeast.