Cyrus Dahmubed, a lifelong resident of Auburndale, is a young (32), optimistic candidate for Ward 4 at-large City Councilor. For seven years, Dahmubed was employed by Boston-based Utile Architecture & Planning, as Director of Research and as an architectural designer. This year, he established his own architectural design firm. Dahmubed is on the Ethics Committee of the Boston Society of Architects, serves on the Board of the Boston Children’s Chorus, and is an alumnus of that organization.
Asked why he decided to run for City Council, he described his attendance at a recent meeting about the Turtle Lane Playhouse, which is special to him as he grew up performing there. “I was watching current and former City Councilors and community members engage on the complexities of this project. And I remember sitting there thinking it would be really great if we had a Councilor who really understood architecture, urban design and planning, and housing policy, and specifically our Inclusionary Zoning policy, which I have worked on a lot in Newton.” (As part of Utile’s On-Call urban design review contract with the City, Dahmubed was brought on to ensure compliance with Newton’s Inclusionary Zoning policy at the Northland development.)
At the Turtle Lane Playhouse meeting, he recalls thinking, “Well, I can be useful this way. I have the skills to be useful.” Dahmubed said, “Being useful and being of service has always been a big part of my life… I don’t understand the purpose of knowledge or growth, or power or success or anything, if it’s not for that.” He believes his skills in design and experience with community engagement would benefit Newton.
Dahmubed said Newton should encourage a diversity of housing options, including home ownership and rentals at a variety of price points. He said, “By the laws of supply and demand, especially in the regional context … if we all provide a little bit of supply, it will start to work. Maybe prices won’t go down, but they won’t increase as fast.”
In addition, Dahmubed believes that Newton can expand housing to new locations. He said, “I think we should be really thoughtful about our underused and unused former industrial and manufacturing areas of the city.”
Dahmubed said Newton could do a better job assisting small “mom and pop” residential and business development projects, saying Newton should ensure the steps to launching a business are clear and understandable. He added “Boston does a great job of using diagrams to explain the process… And I think that makes a huge difference for people being able to feel like they even have a chance of understanding.”
To limit neighborhood disruption during new projects, Dahmubed proposes Newton establish a small business preservation plan that would support small businesses staying in their neighborhoods as development happens, creating a space for them during construction.
Asked about the Washington Street pilot project, Dahmubed said, “I think what’s important to recognize is that this is a pilot program…. Pilot programs exist so you can learn from them and improve the next version. I would like to see us take what we learn from Washington Street, improve its next version, and apply those lessons elsewhere in the city.”
Regarding another current pilot project, Dahmubed spoke enthusiastically about the “parklet” plaza in Newton Centre, saying “I think it’s just wonderful; it’s a cost-free community space. Those are so rare in our environment. And if you just want to be outside and maybe be near some trees and be in community, it’s a great place. “
Dahmubed believes that Newton and the Council would benefit from his perspective. He said, “At 32, I would be the youngest person on the City Council, but I would also bring 32 years of Newton knowledge.”
