Last month, “my friend” posted some flyers around Hyde Park about the rezoning community meeting, the Fairmount Greenway community meeting, and Main Streets’ “Destination Hyde Park.”
Besides store windows, the library bulletin board, and the supermarket bulletin boards, there were really no other places to post flyers that would be seen by a lot of people.
“My friend” posted them at the train stations–on the shelters and the sand boxes–but would have felt better posting them on a board designated for that purpose. I hope that in the Neighborhood Strategic Plan, the BRA will consider adding public bulletin boards into its placemarking and wayfinding plan.
Message Board, Jamaica Plain
The photo above is from a board in Jamaica Plain, at the Monument bus stop. The back side of the board, which serves as a “Centre Street” placemarker, map, and art piece, has been adopted and accepted as a public bulletin board.
The first question that comes up is one of responsibility. Who can be assigned to watch over it? To refresh, edit, and safeguard it? The answer is simple: everyone. Not everyone must, but those who will, should feel free to do so. The more questionable a posting, the less the poster will expect it to stay up anyway. I think the value public message boards can bring outweighs the downsides. What do you think?
