Leadership is Not a Popularity Contest

[Anthony D'Isidoro]

Hello Everyone,

I would be remiss in my responsibility as President of the Allston Civic Association not to express my ongoing regret at the continuation of the branding campaign of Allston as "Rat City" given that cities across the world are seeing significant increases in rat populations.

There certainly has been an uptick of unflattering references to Allston in print, broadcast, internet and outdoor media.

Anybody who knows me and the love I have for this community and the body of work I am involved in, it's all about community building.

"We certainly do not support this undeserved label being applied to Allston or any other of our neighborhoods.  We are encouraged by the progress that we are making after 1 year of our Boston Rodent Action Plan, and we look forward to expanding our efforts." (Dion Irish, Chief of Operations, City of Boston, Micheel Wu, Mayor)

There are better ways of elevating public awareness of the problem and recommending action items the city should pursue.

Increasing vegetation, utilizing cool surfaces, incorporating water features, managing human generated heat, shading structures, smart growth practices and building retrofits would be a good start.

With one of the lowest owner occupancy rates in the city, promoting homeownership especially with one to three family homes would make a huge difference especially when it comes to denying rats access to food and water.

Landlords must be held more accountable for the management of their properties; however, it is not the job of landlords to be picking up after their tenants.  Illegal dumping is another huge issue in the city and those found guilty should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

One of the organizers of this week's walk and festival was quoted as saying "in a way that fits the area's "punk, anti-establishment, against the grain" reputation". "There always this phrase: Keep Allston weird, " he said.

To me that leaves out a lot of people and fails to capture the revitalization of Allston and its residents currently underway.

I prefer to look at our community through these lens which is an excerpt from a speech I gave at the Enterprise Research Campus groundbreaking ceremony: "They (Allston Visitors) never know what to expect but they know they will interact with genuine people, who care about one another, who love their community and participate in a great tradition of giving back when called upon to do so. I tell people Allston is a state of mind where you can be anything you want to be, and the community will be there to support you. We are a diverse and welcoming and proud of who we are, grateful to those who came before us, and excited for the possibilities yet to come."

Tony   

Warming climate a factor in Boston’s growing rat population, new study indicates (Darin Zullo, Boston.com: February 4, 2025)

A new study linked warming climates, population density, and vegetation cover to increasing rat populations in several major cities, including Boston.

A new study found that the warming climate may be partially responsible for Boston’s growing rat population.

The study, which was published Jan. 31 in the journal Science Advances, used data from 16 cities around the world to examine rat population trends.

Of these 16 cities, 11 saw significant increases in rat populations, the study said. Boston was one of these 11 cities, though that may not surprise most Bostonians.

It’s no secret that Boston’s rat problem has been a burden on its residents. Rats can damage infrastructure, contaminate food, and spread over 50 pathogens and parasites to people, according to the study.

Boston residents who are well aware of the city’s ongoing rat problem will likely remember the announcement of the Boston Rodent Action Plan (BRAP) last summer. In a collaboration between multiple city agencies, the initiative aimed to decrease the city’s rat population.

In the announcement, city officials cited poor trash mitigation and Boston’s aging infrastructure as the main causes of the city’s rat problem. The warming climate can now be added to the list of contributing factors, according to the study.

Though changing temperatures have not been explicitly confirmed to be the cause of increased rat activity, the study observed trends that are “in line with potential biological responses to changing urban environments.”

Rats are typically less active in the winter months due to their need to maintain internal body homeostasis, the study said. However, the warmer temperatures brought by climate change have expanded “the seasonal window for aboveground foraging and active breeding period for rats, supporting population growth,” according to the study.

The study also cited increasing human populations and the resulting food waste as supporting the growing rat population.

Though Boston’s rat population has been steadily increasing, it had only the ninth biggest increase in rat sightings during the study period. Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Toronto were among the cities with the largest increases in rat sightings.

Further analysis in the study showed that the cities which saw the greatest increases in temperature change over time also saw the greatest increases in rat populations.

Although the warming climate seems to be the main contributor to Boston’s growing rat problem, other factors include the proportion of vegetation cover and population density within the city, according to the study.

In last year’s BRAP announcement, city officials cited population density as a factor behind the rat population increases in Boston specifically.

“The densely populated neighborhoods with intertwining alleyways and old sewer systems, along with century-old cobble or brick streets and sidewalks, provide an environment for rodents to thrive,” officials said in the announcement.

Despite the warming climate’s global impact, a few cities showed decreases in their rat populations, including Tokyo, Louisville, Ky., and New Orleans, according to the study. In these cities, more aggressive rat control practices led to these decreases, the study said.

In New Orleans, rodent control programs upheld more proactive surveillance and increased efforts to engage other city departments and educate residents about controlling the rat populations. Similarly, Tokyo’s high sanitation standards have been fostered by media platforms where residents can publicize and report unsanitary areas where rats may congregate, according to the study.

The study concluded that the most effective approach that cities with increasing rat populations can take is to create an urban environment that is less conducive for rats rather than removing the rats that already populate the area. Though these tactics likely will not eliminate these cities’ rat populations altogether, they have proven to be effective in controlling the issue, the study said.

By focusing on these environmental changes rather than extermination, Boston and other cities may be able to similarly rein in their rodent populations.

[David Strati]

I agree with Tony that I don't like Allston being called weird or Rat city. Why isn't New York called Rat city.They would not stand for it and we shouldn't either. NY has an official rat program. 

Dave

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