Corporatizing the Boston Common

[marmar]

from OnTheCommons.org:




Corporatizing the Boston Common
Will Bostonians rally to save their historic park for the people?

By David Bollier




The Boston Common could be going corporate. Really. And with the mayor’s apparent blessing.

For centuries, the storied Boston Common has been at the center of the city’s life, a place where anyone could hang out and find a bit of relief from the bustling city in the park’s green expanses. The Common belongs to everyone. It has been a place for military drills, concerts, political rallies, religious revivals, picnics, Frisbee-throwing and much else.

But soon, if Mayor Thomas Menino and the putative Friends of the Public Garden have their way, the Common could be the host for all sorts of corporate sponsorships and advertising, reports the Boston Globe. The Friends of the Public Garden have been talking with the New York City consultant that rescued the dilapidated Bryant Park in Manhattan by handing it over to corporate events and sponsorships.

This is what mayors and corporations like to call a “win-win.” A distressed public resource is refurbished without tax monies, using corporate advertising and sponsorships, and suddenly — Abracadabra! – a decaying public space is lovely. Ah, but like any magic trick, a sleight of hand is necessary. What once was public has now become a quasi-corporate resource. Its character has changed. The public is no longer the sovereign owner. Public authorities must now be very responsive to private, commercial demands, because, well, we know where the money is coming from. He who pays the piper calls the tune. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://onthecommons.org/corporatizing-boston-common

[Uncle Joe]

1. That's a pretty pic.

It's a shame that everything under the sun must be corporatized.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

[LibDemAlways]

2. I'm sure the Bostonians here are better equipped to

address this, but I visited Boston last month and found the Common to be a pleasant park full of families, locals, and tourists hanging out and enjoying a respite from the bustle of the city. It didn't look "dilapidated" at all, and certianly not in need of corporatizing. Just my 2 cents.

[Recursion]

3. There's already plenty of ads and commercial activity

I'm not aware of Menino's (the mayor) plan but I don't see how it's somehow sacred non-commercial space as it is.

[unhappycamper]

4. I that article in the Boston Globe last week (I think).

I haven't been enamored of Menino since 2007.