波士頓台灣同鄉會辦台語研習營介紹學台語資源

波士頓台灣同鄉會舉辦台語營。

      (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 抱著傳承與發揚母語心情，波士頓台灣同鄉會假10月15及16日在網上舉行的「台語研習營」，從台灣請何信翰與陳豐惠遠距教學，侃談台語跨入新時代，越來越有價值，該如何生活化的學習、應用台語，並介紹各種學台語資源。

      2日共100多名以年輕人為主的學員，在會中紛紛表達強烈學台語意願，不但藉機請教某些字詞發音，更要求主辦單位分享研習營錄影，探詢更進一步的學台語途徑。

台語營第一天由杞佳泰主持。

      15日第一天的「台語研習」，由台灣同鄉會的杞佳泰主持，台中教育大學台灣語文系副教授何信翰執教。在波士頓台灣同鄉會會長黃詠琪謙稱自己台語講得不流利，正在加強學習，華府台灣學校梁婷 (Ting Liang) 簡述該校台語教學概況，以及校內台灣文化活動之外，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮也代表波士頓經文處處長孫儉元向台灣同鄉致意，說明駐處的感謝與支持，以及僑委會童振源重視海外僑胞聲音，特別設立了Line專線，請僑胞掃描QR碼，24小時的隨時向僑委會提意見。他還說明僑委會為因應e世代來臨，推出電子版的” i僑卡” ，歡迎僑胞上網申請。若僑胞

16日的台語研習營由黃冠勳主持。

              何信翰以「生活講台語」為主題，分統計，街頭觀察及實際的狀況和怎麼讓小孩子學台語，參與「雅俗共賞」的台語未來等3個部分。

台中教育大學台灣語文系副教授何信翰是第一天的講者。

               在統計部分，文化部今年9月12日才公佈了「國家語言發展報告」，讓人看到台語文在台灣的使用狀況。包括小時候第一個會說的語言，也就是母語，台語47.26%，國語41.44%，客家語5.5164%；在家裏主要使用哪一種語言交談?國語58.31%，台語37.33%；你與父母之間，主要用什麼語言交談? 國語39.73%，台語50.819%；三代流失比例，台語57.4%，客語72.15%，原住民族語 91.94%，福州話94.24%。您在工作場所或學校，主要用什麼語言交談，國語72.64%，台語20.15%。從整體趨勢看，不管是聽說讀寫的哪一類別，都是年紀越大，台語能力越好，而且40歲是一個分界點，40歲以前的平均聽力及口說能力約只47.25%，35.87%，40歲以後的聽力卻平均是90.03%，82.53%。

李江却台語文教基金會執行長陳豐惠。

               在街頭觀察及實際的狀況上，台語版”小王子”七刷，台語文法書進入博客來及時排行榜12名，天下、遠見、皇冠等雜誌社都開始發行台語版，連迪士尼也用台語，包括”動物方程式”的台語版。舒適台語小教室，商品上的廣告語句也用台語，所以從街頭實際狀況看，台語已經有了轉機，開始”雅俗共賞”台語。

              至於怎麼讓小孩子學台語，參與「雅俗共賞」的台語未來部分，何信翰指出，是要參加考試，功課有需要時，有一段閒暇時間的時候，人們才會要從生活中系統化/快速的學習語言。做法可以是夫妻倆一人使用一種語言，看台語節目，聽台語歌等，重點是要生活化和現代化。

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮向台灣同鄉們說明僑委會的line專線，以及i橋卡

               何信翰還介紹了一些專門教台語的節目，包括”台語聽有無”，”逐工一句”，”逐工一字”，”解文說字”，”台語珍輾轉”，”台語講世事”，”講台語當著時 (23)分鐘等。教育部也推出台灣閩南語羅馬字拼音學習網。

學習台語的影音資源。

然而最重要的還是對台語要有信心，給台語小孩信目中kap好的印象結合，網路時代，影片勝過圖片，勝過全文字。最重要的是陪伴，作伙用台語培養感情，這樣小孩子就會想要學。

他指出，台灣的整體社會風氣已讓台語變得越來越受歡迎，現在是” 台語新時代，逐家作伙來”。海外也有一個台語的Podcast，用台語教知識，就是” 李講古我來聽” 。

16日的研習營由黃冠勳主持，李江却台語文教基金會執行長，PNN網站「正káng」節目老師、民視台灣學堂講臺語當著時及台語講世事節目對談人的陳豐惠主講「台語羅馬字」。

陳豐惠介紹了李江卻台語文教基金會整理的「台語TSHU網路」，以及許多學習台語的資源，包括有聲有影的「七字仔大歌廳」、「公視看世事講台語」、「公視技藝101」、「民視台灣學堂-講台語當著時，台語講世事」、「台語Sa攏有」、「有影講台語-參賽短片 2017，2016」、「台與台灣史系列講座」、央廣「詩情也綿綿」，以及Blog的「鷺水芗南-閩南語部落」、「潘科員台語文理想國」、「老人囡仔性閒閒網話仙」、「四界个聲 (全球之聲)」、「春天e霧」、「古錐的所在」、「懶魚醉貓e鳥白寫」、「錢歹趁，囝細漢 (POJ)」、阿桐伯也雜菜麵店」、「鹿津游子許家勇个沓沓滴滴 (tap-tap-tih-tih)」、「Holopedia (Wikipedia Ho-lo版: POJ」。

輸入方法有「教育部台灣閩南語漢字輸入法」、「信望愛台語客語輸入法」、「羅漢衰台語輸入法 (iOS)」、「Phah Tai-gi 台語輸入法 (iOS)」、「Phah-Tai-gi台語輸入法 (Android)」、「意傳台文輸入法」、「台語輸入法」。

至於羅馬字是指用a, b, c,等26個英文字母所拼寫的字，世界上濟語言採用的書寫符號。2006年10月，教育部整合白話字和台灣語文學會的TLPA音標，公告和國際音標 (IPA)。

陳豐惠節錄了李勤岸教授邊的「台羅拼音圖解」，非常詳盡的解釋台語發音的各種細節，包括台語語音特色的送氣音，清濁分明，鼻化韻母，入聲，聲調，變調，以及鼻音韻尾，還有基本韻母的a,i, u ,e ,o, oo，鼻化韻母的ann，ainn，uinn等，聲化韻母的m梅, 姆，ng黃，向，以及雙唇，舌尖，舌根，喉窒等入聲韻尾及聲母，聲母十八個，喙型總整理等。聲調規則上有本調的八聲七調，聲調規則有本調的八聲七調，連續變調等，以期學員們能夠經由「ê台語聲調，會曉講tō 會曉寫」。

當天有不少出席者十分積極地想要進一步學習台語，探訊是否可以分享研習錄影。波士頓台灣同鄉已同意分享，同時歡迎有興趣學台語者關注該會每週一次的台語說故事活動。

麻州政府回應波士頓市府 支援處理「美沙酮英里」已斥資4000萬元

            (Boston Orange 編譯) 「美沙酮英里 (Mass and Cass) 」又出狀況，波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 宣稱需要州政府支援，建1000戶住宅，安置流民後，州政府近日回應，「不是已經撥款4000萬元給波士頓處理「人道危機 (humanitarian crisis) 」了嗎?

           麻州健康及人民服務長Marylou Sudders 寫了封信給吳弭市長，說「你知道的，從2021年6月起，查理貝克政府已經在波士頓市處理「美沙酮英里」那兒的人道危機一事上，提供了領導與持續的支援」。

           吳弭市長近日數度在公開場合表示，許多被吸引到波士頓市無家可歸者營地的人，都不是波士頓人，波士頓市居民真的需要州政府加緊幫忙。

           吳弭在廣播電台的訪談中也說，「波士頓市做為一個地方城市，經費有限，無法因應持續增長的巨大需要」。

           吳弭還說，得在波士頓市以外建造1000戶低門檻住宅，以解決人們聚集在「美沙酮英里」這已困擾了她的政府許多個月的政治難題。

           查理貝克 (Charlie Baker) 政府則經由健康及人民服務長來說，州政府已經撥款成百逾千萬元。Marylou Sudders就說，州政府藉由州議會所撥配的經費，已經在處理這議題上投資了4000萬元。直到9月份，州政府都還在和市政府人員攜手工作。

                      Marylou Sudders在信中寫道，聽到吳弭市長在記者會中講，又在廣播電台節目中重述的說，市政府正在尋求和州政府合作，實在讓人意外。因為直到波士頓市政府在9月解散了常規性協調會議前，她辦公室及麻州公共衛生廳的關鍵員工都是該會議的活躍參與者。

                    貝克政府表示，已投資1500萬元給松街客棧 (Pine Street Inn) ，廬屋 (The Cottages) ，以及 預見旅館(Envision Hotel) 建3座臨時性的低門檻住宅樓宇，服務了180人，並促成65人有了永久性居屋。

                    Marylou Sudders還寫道，州政府花了3360萬元，在麻州各地蓋低門檻住宅，新建380戶住宅單位，其中70個是指定撥給，目前也是由早前落腳「美沙酮英里」的人居住。

                     另外的191戶住宅單位，將在未來2年出現在波士頓市內。

                      Marylou Sudders說，在這危機中，麻州政府已經一直是，也將繼續是非常願意的和市政府在這危機上繼續做夥伴。但是現在，波士頓市政府應該做更多工作，包括動用預期將來自鴉片類藥物和解金的1800萬元中的500萬元，來建立信任，給人們獲得住宅，照顧，以及找方法復原的幫助。

            在吳弭政府清理街道及帳篷，而且顯然的從這地區搬走了4.3噸垃圾的10個月以來，街道上的帳篷數已從90降到20左右，

麻州州長查理貝克再特赦四人

Governor Baker Issues Pardons to Four Individuals

 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker announced the pardons of four individuals: Christopher Nichols, Thomas Schoolcraft, Zaida Pimentel-Solano and Bertrand Lamitie.

 

The Massachusetts Constitution grants the Governor the power to grant pardons, and Governor Baker issued updated Executive Clemency Guidelines in February 2020.

Petitions for pardons are reviewed by the Advisory Board of Pardons. The Board evaluates the petition, weighing the factors laid out in the Executive Guidelines, and makes a recommendation to the Governor. The Board had recommended the pardons of all of these individuals. The pardons must now be approved by the Governor’s Council.

“Each of these individuals has shown compelling reasons for requesting a pardon, including the need to remove barriers that currently prevent them from accessing more professional opportunities. These offenses all occurred many years ago, and since that time, all four individuals have committed themselves to bettering their lives and improving their communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker.  “I appreciate the Governor Council’s careful review of these cases.”

 

For more on Christopher Nichols, see here.

 

For more on Thomas Schoolcraft, see here.

 

For more on Zaida Pimental-Solano, see here.

 

For more on Bertrand Lamitie, see here.

Healey-Driscoll 陣營宣稱志工上週向超過10萬選民拜票

            (Boston Orange) 11月8日就是大選投票日了，麻州州長和副州長候選人，Maura Healey 和Kim Driscoll的競選團隊不但已結盟出動，上週末的週六和週日還一舉出動逾千名志工，逐戶敲門拜會或打電話，共計接觸不下10萬選民。

              Healey和Driscoll陣營表示，在前述的2日週末中，志工們踏進157個社區，共敲了1萬5千戶大門，打了6萬多通電話，發出3萬2千多短信。

             Healey的競選經理Jason Burrell表示，” 提早投票已經開始了，我們的競選陣營也開始揮舞我們從選舉以來經營出的草根力量” 。” 我們的志工都很積極的要確保麻州拒絕川普主義，選出能為每一個人繁榮經濟，保護生育自由的民主黨人。我們要繼續盡可能多的接觸選民，並鼓勵他們出來投票”。

             Maura Healey 和Kim Driscoll的競選團隊還在繼續招募志工，接下來這週末的行程，將於週五公佈。          

Healey-Driscoll Volunteers Contacted Over 100,000 Voters Last Weekend

Will Continue Momentum with Upcoming Get Out the Vote Efforts

BOSTON – As the Healey-Driscoll campaign gears up for a major weekend of action, they are reporting their success from the first weekend of early voting. Last Saturday and Sunday, more than 1,000 volunteers hit the doors and the phones to encourage voters to get to the polls and support the Democratic ticket. In total, volunteers knocked over 15,000 doors in 157 communities, made over 60,000 phone calls, and sent over 32,000 text messages.

“Now that early voting has started, our campaign is flexing our grassroots muscle that we’ve been building throughout this entire election,” said Healey Campaign Manager Jason Burrell. “Our volunteers are energized to make sure Massachusetts rejects Trumpism and elects a Democratic ticket that will grow this economy for everyone and protect reproductive freedom. We’re going to continue to hustle to reach as many voters as possible and encourage them to get out and vote.”

People interested in volunteering for Team Healey can visit here. A full schedule for the weekend’s event will be available on Friday.

麻州共撥款1億4300萬元資助337項地方經濟發展項目

 Baker-Polito Administration Announces $143 Million for Economic Development Projects Through Community One Stop for Growth

  Delivers Funding from 12 State Grant Programs, Including $100 Million in MassWorks Grants

 

PITTSFIELD –

 Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials in Pittsfield to announce more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities. The grant awards were made through Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal that provides a streamlined, collaborative review process of 12 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction and infrastructure. MassWorks is the largest program in the One Stop portfolio and is awarding $100 million in grant awards this year.

Through this round of the One Stop, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development received 523 applications from 207 communities representing every region of the Commonwealth. Of the 337 applications awarded, 31% are located in a rural or small town; 32% are located in a Gateway City; and 43% are located in a Housing Choice Community. This investment is expected to directly support the creation of 6,950 new housing units across the Commonwealth, including 5,068 new market-rate units and 1,882 new affordable units.

“Since taking office, we have been proud to make significant investments in helping our cities, towns and local partners achieve their economic development goals through a range of grant programs and legislation aimed at advancing the diverse needs of municipalities across the state,” said Governor Charlie Baker

. “The projects awarded funding today build upon that work and will create jobs, build housing, revitalize spaces and empower communities in every region of the Commonwealth.”

“Our administration has made partnering with cities and towns and fostering relationships with local leaders a priority, and through the One Stop we’ve been able to streamline their process of applying for grant programs while making the Commonwealth an active partner in local economic development strategy,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “From small towns to Gateway Cities, the programs in One Stop, like MassWorks, are delivering funding to meet the unique needs and priorities of our individual communities.”

FY23 Community One Stop for Growth programs include:

• MassWorks Infrastructure Program – $100 million awarded to 63 projects
• Underutilized Properties Program – $21,683,685 awarded to 49 projects
• Rural and Small Town Development Fund – $4,958,995 awarded to 25 projects
• Housing Choice Community Grants – $3,913,384 awarded to 36 projects
• Site Readiness Program – $2,856,150 awarded to 12 projects
• Urban Agenda – $2,654,370 awarded to 31 projects
• Brownfields Redevelopment Fund – $2,612,740 awarded to 13 projects
• Community Planning Grants – $2,386,800 awarded to 40 projects
• Collaborative Workspace Program – $1,197,000 awarded to 39 projects
• Commonwealth Places – $385,663 awarded to 12 projects
• Massachusetts Downtown Initiative – $350,000 awarded to 14 projects
• Real Estate Services Technical Assistance – $250,000 awarded to 7 projects

The full list of grants can be found here.

“From project inception to getting shovels in the ground, the One Stop is delivering resources from multiple state programs to support economic development initiatives in our communities at every stage,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “I appreciate the hard work of our teams at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Department of Housing and Community Development, and MassDevelopment, who engaged with communities to identify projects in 169 cities and towns that will have a meaningful impact on local economic growth.”

"The One Stop's single application portal and collaborative review process helps us ensure we take a wide-angle lens in directing funding to communities of all sizes and across all regions," 

said Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba. "This round we were proud to fund about 60-70% of all applications that were submitted in a region, and every region received more awards and more funding than last year."

MassWorks, one of the state’s largest competitive grant programs, offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate housing production and job growth. This year, the administration is awarding 63 grants from the infrastructure program – the largest number of awards in a single round since the program’s inception in 2011 – totaling $100 million to 60 communities. Among this year’s MassWorks’ projects, 39 are reactivating underutilized sites, 31 are supporting transit-oriented developments, and 30 have a mixed-use component. Additionally, 17 communities are receiving their first ever MassWorks award.

Including this year’s round, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded 391 MassWorks grants to 197 communities, investing over $709 million in public infrastructure projects throughout the state. These grants have directly supported the creation of over 26,000 new housing units and tens of thousands of construction and new permanent jobs, while also leveraging approximately $17 billion in private investment.

“Congratulations to all of the cities and towns who have received One-Stop Awards this year, we are thrilled to support a variety of excellent local projects across the Commonwealth to promote new housing development, downtown revitalization, and other important economic development efforts,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “The One-Stop Application Process provides communities an opportunity to access multiple state resources at once, and we are excited to see cities and towns leverage these high-impact programs to spur new growth and economic activity.”

“The awards announced today represent an investment that will reverberate in communities across Massachusetts for years to come,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “MassDevelopment is grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration for its continued support of these programs, which help communities revitalize vacant sites, build mixed-use facilities, stimulate local and regional economies, and help municipalities plan for the future.”

“MassWorks grants are an important driver for economic development throughout the Commonwealth. I’d like to acknowledge how critical this funding will be for the many worthwhile projects awarded this round and hope that we can fund more in the future to ensure our economic vitality at the local and state level.” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka.

“As Speaker, I’m always proud of the meaningful impact that the Legislature’s economic development appropriations have on the communities that we serve,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano. “It’s our responsibility as elected officials to make investments that will spur the development of new housing and improve critical infrastructure, all while creating jobs in the process. I’m thrilled that Quincy, Weymouth, and Holbrook are receiving state support, and I look forward to seeing these ever-important local projects come to life.”

The announcement was made at the Berkshire Innovation Center in the City of Pittsfield. The Pittsfield community is receiving more than $3.6 million in awards through the One Stop process, including:

• $3 million MassWorks award to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority to convert 16.5 blighted acres of a former GE transformer property into greenspace, roadways, utility corridors, and stormwater management.
• $525,000 Underutilized Properties Program award to Allegrone Companies to restore the nationally listed Wright Building.
• $55,122 Urban Agenda award to Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation Corp., a cohort-based leadership program for Black community members in Pittsfield.
• $15,000 Collaborative Workspace Program award to Berkshire Innovation Center to fund a feasibility study to expand the organization’s coworking environment.
• $15,000 Collaborative Workspace Program award to Berkshire Black Economic Council for feasibility work needed to create a collaborative workspace for underserved Black-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs in Berkshire County.
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Maura Healey 參訪北安多福電池製造廠KK

 Healey Tours Battery Manufacturer in North Andover

NORTH ANDOVER – On Wednesday, Maura Healey toured the North Andover materials company 6K, Inc., which recently received $50 million in federal infrastructure funding to help build a factory to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles in Wilmington. She was joined by State Senator Barry Finegold, State Representative Tram Nguyen, and candidate for State Representative Adrianne Ramos.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to tour 6K and visit North Andover today with Senator Barry Finegold and Representative Tram Nguyen, who have been incredible leaders for their district,” said Healey. “I want to replicate and ramp up the innovative work being done by companies like 6K across the state as part of our climate corridor. This is how we will create new jobs, attract and retain businesses, and make urgent progress to meet our climate goals – including putting one million new electric vehicles on the road by 2030.”

Governor Baker Nominates Attorney William F. Bloomer as Associate Justice to the Superior Court and Attorney Katherine T. Barkowski as Clerk Magistrate of the Somerville District Court

 Governor Baker Nominates Attorney William F. Bloomer as Associate Justice to the Superior Court and Attorney Katherine T. Barkowski as Clerk Magistrate of the Somerville District Court

 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker nominated Attorney William F. Bloomer as Associate Justice to the Superior Court and Attorney Katherine T. Barkowski as Clerk Magistrate of the Somerville District Court.

 

“Attorneys Bloomer and Barkowski will bring valuable knowledge and experience to their new roles if confirmed,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud to submit their nominations for consideration.”

 

“These nominees have years of experience in public service that make each of them well-qualified candidates for these new positions,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We look forward to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council.”

 

The Superior Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Massachusetts, is committed to delivering high quality justice in a timely and fair manner in accordance with the rule of law. The Court's 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 counties of the Commonwealth. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000 and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions including labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals, appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, and may hold sittings for naturalization in any city or town. The Superior Court also has exclusive original jurisdiction of first-degree murder cases and original jurisdiction of all other crimes.

 

For more information about the Superior Court, visit their homepage.

 

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties; all misdemeanors; and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth. 

 

For more information about the District Court, visit their homepage.

 

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.

 

About William F. Bloomer

 

William F. Bloomer began his legal career in 1988 as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Rhode Island before working as an associate for Shaheen, Cappiello, Stein & Gordon until 1990. From 1990 to 1999, Attorney Bloomer served as an assistant district attorney for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. Then, until 2004, Attorney Bloomer served as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. Attorney Bloomer then served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Office of the U.S. Attorney until his appointment as Director of the Division of Standards for the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission in 2022. Since 2020, Attorney Bloomer has also worked as an adjunct professor at Boston College, where he teaches criminal law and procedure. In his community, he has served as a member of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors, and as a member of the editorial board for the Massachusetts Law Review. Attorney Bloomer received his bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University in 1985 and his juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1988.

 

About Katherine T. Barkowski

 

Katherine T. Barkowski has over 30 years of legal experience, and first began her legal career in 1992 when she started her own law practice to serve the needs of her community. Since 2001, Attorney Barkowski has served as assistant clerk magistrate for the Boston Juvenile Court. In her community, Attorney Barkowski acts as a lecter at Saint Brendan’s Church in Dorchester. Additionally, she has volunteered for Dorchester’s youth soccer program, and for Friends of the Adams Street Library to support her local library and its programming. Attorney Barkowski received her bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University in 1985 and her juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1991.

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MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION REPORT, RE-LAUNCH OF BPDA’S PLAN: DOWNTOWN

BOSTON - Thursday, October 27, 2022 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu released a report by the City and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on the challenges facing Downtown Boston and presenting a set of initiatives and recommendations to revitalize and reimagine the neighborhood. This report is a result of close coordination among the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA).  The release also marks the relaunch of PLAN: Downtown by the BPDA, a comprehensive City planning process for the neighborhood to help further develop and implement the vision in the report.  PLAN: Downtown will restart the community planning process that first began in 2018 and paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan will include a focus on creating more housing in Downtown and will result in new zoning to support housing, open space, and small businesses.  “We envision Downtown Boston as a space where people from all backgrounds come together,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Together with the restart of PLAN: Downtown, this report presents a roadmap for a truly inclusive, round-the-clock neighborhood filled with new homes, diverse businesses, world-class public spaces, vibrant nightlife, and a thriving arts and culture scene.” Before the pandemic, Downtown Boston was the busiest neighborhood in the city, with heavy foot traffic driven by thousands of office workers. However, the shift to remote work is significantly, and likely permanently, reshaping the central business core. The report confirms that downtown foot traffic remains at least 40 percent below pre-pandemic levels, and office vacancy rates are rising in the neighborhood.  The report found that foot traffic recovery remains faster on weekends, demonstrating that non-office uses of the Downtown are bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels more quickly. Overall, the report presents the challenge of post-pandemic recovery as an opportunity for the City to reimagine Downtown Boston as a more diverse and vibrant neighborhood, less reliant on a weekday migration of office workers, and where current and new residents, business owners, workers, and visitors can come together to live, work, and connect in new ways. “This report is another example of the seriousness with which this Administration is taking the issue of revitalizing one of the most important areas of our city: our Downtown,” said Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. “I am grateful to our colleagues across City Hall and all of the stakeholders who provided valuable input on the work we can do together to strengthen local small businesses, attract visitors from across our neighborhoods and the world, and transform our commercial core into a vibrant, more inclusive community.”  "The BPDA is enthusiastically looking forward to relaunching PLAN: Downtown to address the unique needs of this area in a post-pandemic environment and support the effort to revitalize downtown Boston," said Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison. "Our planners are excited to work with the community to help them formulate a vision for the future of downtown that supports, among other things, livability, walkability, and access to open space." The report outlines the City’s visions and primary policy goals for Downtown along with the high-impact actions the City is considering to revitalize the neighborhood. They are aimed at driving economic recovery for Downtown with a focus on equity, resilience, and new opportunity. ​ The BCG team looked globally to survey strategies cities are taking to respond to the new-normal for central business districts long reliant on office workers’  five-day-a-week routine. Five overarching strategies emerged, including expanding the residential focus of downtowns, refreshing office-focused neighborhoods for new industries, investing in tourism infrastructure, incentivizing and reducing barriers to small business growth, and growing the all-hours cultural footprint of central business districts.  To help build a new vision for a thriving downtown, the City hopes to adopt promising elements from each of these strategies. To achieve this, the report lays out six key focus areas for the City to ensure a robust downtown:  Ensuring the continued vibrancy of office space downtown; Expanding housing downtown;  Growing the daily use of downtown by bolstering cultural, art, retail, services, and hospitality ecosystems;  Supporting connectivity and mobility downtown via multi-modal transportation infrastructure and protected infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists​;  Enhancing economic opportunity downtown by supporting women, BIPOC, and other underserved populations, and by strengthening the small business and creative community;  Growing Boston's footprint as a global tourism hub​.   The report lists over thirty policies the City can implement to achieve these six goals. Some are existing proposed initiatives already underway that can be built upon, while others are new proposals and pilots with the potential to be expanded Citywide.  Priority actions to advance the City’s goals include: Supporting conversions of class B/C office space into new uses including residential housing Creating new zoning incentives to allow increased zoning density for new housing (in PLAN: Downtown) Creating low-rent spaces for minority- and women- owned businesses Re-imagining Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market post-pandemic Reopening City Hall Plaza as an anchor of public space with new programing and amenities Piloting pedestrianization of certain streets Creating new spaces, events, and programs to expand nightlife downtown, ideally to attract new populations and demographic/socioeconomic groups The report also includes a detailed analytical baseline conducted by BCG to understand how the pandemic affected foot traffic and economic activity. Dozens of stakeholders from the neighborhood and the business community were consulted during the process including Chinatown Main Streets, BECMA, Amplify Latinx, Boston While Black, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, A Better City, hotel general managers, building owners, developers, and restaurant owners.  "A vibrant, inclusive, connected downtown is essential to ensuring that Boston continues to grow and to thrive," said Rick Dimino, President & CEO of A Better City. "Under Mayor Wu's leadership and with the support of the business community through vehicles like the Greenway BID, the successful implementation of this report will position Boston as the economic engine of our region and location of preference for employers and employees alike." “The relaunch of PLAN: Downtown is an exciting opportunity to shape how future planning and economic development decisions can ensure the long-term vibrancy of Downtown Boston,” said Michael Nichols, President of the Downtown BID. “Generations of Bostonians and visitors have made treasured memories in the streets, shops, and special places of the neighborhood. We look forward to working together to foster equitable economic vitality for business owners of every size and a dynamic and accessible downtown for residents, workers, and visitors.” Supporting a thriving Downtown environment that is responsive to the 21st century needs of residents, businesses, and visitors, especially in a post-pandemic world, is critical to Boston’s continued success. PLAN: Downtown will formally relaunch at a kick-off event on November 9th in Downtown Crossing. At that event, community members and BPDA staff will review work to date and work to come. The relaunched process will include engagement with local stakeholders and community members to directly address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Downtown, including a market and feasibility study of converting underutilized office buildings to residential and other uses. The release of the Downtown Revitalization Report and the announcement to relaunch PLAN: Downtown builds off Mayor Wu’s commitment to creating a welcoming and thriving neighborhood for residents, workers, and visitors alike. In September, the City reopened the temporary beer garden at City Hall Plaza in partnership with 67 Degrees Brewing, a Black, woman, and veteran-owned craft brewery. This summer, Mayor Wu launched Boston Together Again, a series of weekday cultural, food, and wellness events in Downtown that ran from mid-July to mid-October. In April, in partnership with the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, and the Greenway BID, the City hosted Boston Blooms, a one-day block party stretching from South Station to Downtown Crossing that welcomed employees, residents, and visitors back to Downtown.