About the Site:
“There is no such thing as a poor community. Even neighborhoods without much money have substantial human resources. Often, however, the human resources are not appreciated or utilized, partly because people do not have information about one another and about what their neighborhood has to offer. For example, a family whose oil heater is broken may go cold for lack of knowledge that someone just down the block knows how to fix it” -Mel King and Mitchell Resnick
Who or what do we turn to in times of need, both critical and quotidian? The City of Boston is full of amazing resources that span a wide range of categories, but their existence does not equal their being used by those who need them. The process of making community resources visible can be challenging with a myriad of obstacles between the provider and the user. Far too often we hear of or know people who, because they were not aware of a relevant service, found themselves worse off than if they had known about it.
Taking cues from the theory and practice of community development and information communication technology (along with ideas from the realm of critical theory for good measure) this site will address the challenges and successes of increasing access to community resources .
The name “BostonMaps” is not intended to narrow the focus of the discussion on mapping projects, rather it is meant to address a notion that building the roads for promoting the autonomy of individuals and neighborhoods is only valuable when they come with a map that gives people some sense of what is around them.
While Boston is the focus of this site, examples and ideas from around the world will be celebrated and discussed as we look to find ways to improve the autonomy of residents and neighborhoods in Boston.
About Me:
My name is Gabriel Mugar and I graduated Boston University with a degree in Philosophy and Religion. Since then I have worked as a freelance video producer and a teacher in the Boston Public Schools. I am the founder of Press Pass TV, a Boston based nonprofit that engages youth in the production of short video segments that highlight organizations and individuals working to change their community.
Currently I live in New York City where I am completing a Masters degree at New York University’s Department of Media, Culture, and Communications. I am writing my thesis on Boston based community resource websites and how they create visibility for commonly available resources. In addition to graduate school I am a member of the NYC chapter of Wikimedia, an adviser to Neighbors for Neighbors Inc, and a director on the board of Press Pass TV Inc.
In the Fall I will begin the doctoral program in Information Science and Technology at Syracuse University.
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