Fight for Newton Corner : A Story of Neighborhood Development

The Fight for Newton Corner uses photographs & easy-to-read quotes to dramatically portray a development controversy that took place in the Boston suburb of Newton in the early 1980s. The proposed development of a run-down but tightly-knit neighborhood at Newton Corner brought to the surface the conflicting values of local tenants, homeowners, merchants, developers, & city officials. Here are the personal accounts of people torn between tradition & change, between old neighborhood ties & their city's need for development & affordable housing. The issues that emerge - of class, of citizen participation in the planning process, of the impact of building scale & architecture on our relationships with neighbors - are issues being raised in countless urban communities throughout the country. With over 100 photographs in 80 pages, The Fight for Newton Corner is a graphic, forceful presentation that will appeal to general readers, college students, & professional planners alike. The quotes are concise & colorful, & are juxtaposed to create a lively dialogue between people of opposing views. Compelling portraits help to personalize the debate, as individuals share their dreams & anguish over Newton Corner's fate. The Fight for Newton Corner won the author a $9500 award from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, & is currently being used in local high schools as well as in the sociology & urban studies departments of several Boston area universities.Chase, Jon is the author of 'Fight for Newton Corner : A Story of Neighborhood Development', published 1987 under ISBN 9780961864309 and ISBN 0961864303.