Government Intervention in Development
Figure 1: Josiah Quincy
Mayor Josiah Quincy elected in 1896 helped Boston become a modern city. Quincy was determined to alleviate the physical and social problems of the poor. While Quincy succeeded to gain support for public works projects such as parks and subway lines, his efforts to improve the quality of life for Boston’s poor was unsuccessful. Qunicy’s administration influenced Boston to adopt a modern and scientific approach to urban planning. For example, Quincy established the nation’s first municipal bureau of statistics and brought in a John Hopkins Ph.D. to direct it.[1] Qunicy’s political agenda was a controversial problem as private and public sectors invested to expand the city not improve the city. Despite his many efforts to provide services and jobs, Quincy’s administration could not survive without clashing with the ward bosses. Josiah Quincy’s term as mayor revealed the constraint of power in local government planning. Planning to provide parks, water, sewers, transportation was backed by the business and political elites, but planning to secure improved living conditions was either unsupported or subordinated by political patronage and strained budgets. He is the first Boston mayor who out rightly sought to alleviate the social and physical ills of the city through local government. Quincy left an impression on local government to consider an active role in urban planning to resolve the many challenges that Boston faced.
Reference:
1. Koren, John. Boston, 1822-1922: the story of its government and principal activities during one hundred years. City of Boston Printing Department, 1922.
Figure 1: Stuart, Gilbert. Josiah Quincy. c. 1824-1825. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Wikipedia. Web. 5 Mar 2013.
Reference:
1. Koren, John. Boston, 1822-1922: the story of its government and principal activities during one hundred years. City of Boston Printing Department, 1922.
Figure 1: Stuart, Gilbert. Josiah Quincy. c. 1824-1825. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Wikipedia. Web. 5 Mar 2013.