Citizen activism helped defeat IndyCar
As the lawyer who represented residents of the Seaport and other Boston neighborhoods impacted by the now-canceled IndyCar race, I offer the following observations on the debacle:
Citizen activism worked. A diverse coalition of residents pursued every angle to bring attention to the adverse impacts of the race on public health, safety, and the environment. Concern spread steadily throughout the community as more people and neighborhood associations learned about the adverse impacts of this event and the six months of construction that would be involved. In the end, the group’s hard work and participation in the public process paid off.
The race approval process was not transparent. The city should have consulted affected neighborhoods before committing to a deal. Limited outreach by the promoter, the Grand Prix of Boston, couldn’t make up for the fact that the community felt it was an inside deal engineered through political connections.