FAQs

Why does Newton need to grow?

The City of Newton’s financial health in coming years will depend on some combination of (1) reducing expenses and (2) increasing revenues. In very simple terms, these were the findings the Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) in 2009.

In the group’s final report, Recommendation #9 proposes the city encourage new development of commercial and residential properties to increase its tax base – although it notes these revenues are only part of a solution:

New development is not the magic bullet that some proponents assert; it will not allow the City to grow itself out of its budget issues. It can, however, have a positive revenue effect while chiefly and importantly ensuring the economic vitality, diversity, attractiveness, and value of Newton’s ailing villages and re-developing underutilized properties and locations. (page 3-24)

In somewhat stronger terms, the city’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the Newton Board of Aldermen in 2007, makes a case for “Flexible Moderate Growth” (page 6-6) for economic development that increases tax revenues while not undermining residential and village amenities. The plan suggests balance:

Newton’s planners and decision makers must put heavy emphasis on Newton’s residential character but most not lose sight of the important role of business in serving the community and in providing helpful job opportunities and tax revenues. (page 6-9)

Why do we need an organization focused on our villages?  Doesn’t Newton have enough nonprofit groups already?

Newton Villages is unique in that it focuses on the vitality of Newton’s village centers, and in that it espouses an approach that includes the key classes of stakeholders:  residents, merchants, landowners, and city government.

Our village centers provide the main concentrations of heavily utilized public space in our city.  They are the crossroads where we can accidentally meet neighbors and new friends, while at the same time meeting many of our daily needs.  That is, when we residents choose to go to a village center to do the things we have to do anyway, we accrue personal benefit by meeting those needs close to home, while creating and enjoying a community benefit by developing relationships with our neighbors–both residents and merchants.

The personal benefit keeps us coming back, and the community benefit makes that good for others as well.  The marriage of commerce and community that takes place in our village centers makes them unique, essential nodes in the social network that ties us all together, making our community cohesive.

Newton Villages is a coalition of residents, merchants, landowners, and city officials–the only sort of organization that can effectively make our village centers work well.  All four groups bring key ingredients.  The residents bring purchasing power, time as volunteers, and the ever-important foot traffic.  Merchants create the environment we all share in the village centers, both in their stores and on the sidewalk.  Landowners make investments in their buildings, and important decisions about which merchants go where.  City officials manage the regulatory framework that can encourage the other three groups to work in harmony.

On the flip side, all four groups stand to benefit when village centers work well. Residents can find products and services that they want, in a pleasant environment. And as mentioned above, they can also meet old and new friends at the same time. Merchants thrive by selling more of their goods. Landowners do well by sustaining rents and minimizing store vacancies. The city government does well by collecting strong commercial tax revenues, and by enjoying the positive image that a vibrant village center confers, which in turn helps recruit new businesses and residents.

Newton Villages is founded on the premise that vibrant village centers are crucial to a good quality of life in Newton.  It is a partnership focused on making the village centers the best they can be, a partnership among residents, merchants, landowners, and city officials–all four groups necessary to and benefiting from vibrant village centers.  Given that no other such partnership exists, if we are serious about our village centers, we need Newton Villages.

Is this group focused primarily on Newton Center or all villages in Newton?

Newton Villages is concerned with all of Newton’s villages.  Our focus is on the public space created on streets and sidewalks in business districts.  Anywhere that has a cluster of commercial buildings in a walkable environment on a public street lies in our range of interest.

How similar or different is this group from a mini-Chamber of Commerce?

What do you do when some businesses are aligned against the interests of other businesses?

How does the group handle differences of opinion within the group?

Why are there so many banks in our village centers?