Plans around the proposed Olympic Games in Boston have zeroed in primarily on the economic stability of the games and the construction of new facilities. But former Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral suggests they might want to take a different approach.
Expanding that focus to explain how the Games could bring long-term benefits to communities—especially underserved communities—could raise its popularity, she says.
That could mean, for example, committing to providing Olympics-related jobs to local Boston residents and demonstrating how infrastructure projects could serve neighborhoods for decades to come, instead of being solely for the Games. Factors like these all fall under what Cabral calls "social sustainability."
"When you're putting the plan together, you have to show you're thinking about this, that these are the things that matter to you," she said. "When you make that a clear cornerstone of your plan, you get a lot more community buy-in and you get it from the outset."
But Cabral says Boston 2024 still has time to rethink their game plan and raise support.
"I don't think it's too late to do that. I think there's still time to mend some fences and do that," she said.
To hear more from Andrea Cabral, tune in to the audio link above.
