Hello Michelle,
Thank you for your email, and for your work organizing around the removal of hostile architecture in your community. It seems like you have done some great work already by getting your community neighborhood associations and city counselor on your side. When trying to get the MBTA to eliminate the middle bar on benches, there a few resources in the toolkit which may be of help. Specifically:
Chapter 30: Principles of Advocacy: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/advocacy-principles
Toolkit on Advocating for Change: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/advocating-change
In the chapter and toolkit are resources that can help you understand the “opposition tactics” that the MBTA might use, and can help you strengthen your own arguments and position. In addition, the resources provide examples of potential ways you can advocate for change – from campaigns to educate and change policy to more confrontational strategies like boycotts and picketing. The toolkit provides some questions and tools to help you think through what strategies might be most effective for creating change and to plan for action.
On information re the bench design issue, you might look at these:
“Callous Objects: Designs Against the Homeless” by Robert Rosenberger (2017)
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Callous_Objects/Xip0DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Clean and safe? Property redevelopment, public space, and homelessness in downtown San Diego chapter by D Mitchell & LA Staeheli (2006) in “The politics of public space.”
In terms of organizing with the unhoused community, CTB Chapter 7: Involving the people most affected by the problem: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involvement/involve-those-affected/main may provide some insight. It is important to understand the potential needs and barriers that this community faces. Meeting community members where they are, understanding their priorities, and recognizing their strengths are some strategies that may be helpful in getting them more involved with the work moving forward.
There are many communities of folks experiencing homelessness who are engaged in organizing efforts already (often known as homeless unions). We assume you are in the Boston, Massachusetts, area since you referred to the MBTA. It looks like there is a homeless union in Massachusetts you could also try plugging into: https://www.liberationnews.org/massachusetts-union-of-the-homeless-holds-speak-out-to-demand-housing-and-respect/
Although a bit old now, this article may still provide you with some useful ideas:
Yeich, S. (1996). Grassroots organizing with homeless people: A participatory research approach. Journal of Social Issues,52(1), 111-121. Full text: https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1996.tb01364.x
Hope this is helpful!
Best,
Hasina [with help from Doug and Krista]
