Orville Joseph takes a selfie in front of the futuristic backdrop set up by Imagine Boston 2030 Monday on City Hall Plaza. (NewBostonPost photo by Beth Treffeisen)
BOSTON – Passersby in downtown Boston Monday stopped to chat and take a self portrait with a futuristic backdrop, courtesy of City Hall.
Using a design from Imagine Boston 2030, the traveling selfie “photo booth” made its first stop on City Hall Plaza. Encouraged to share the picture via social media, participants are also asked to reveal their ideas for Boston’s future and share them online, using the hashtag #ImagineBoston.
The campaign, called “Picture Yourself in the Future,” is a way for Bostonians, commuters and visitors to engage with the city’s first planning effort in 50 years. The feedback will be incorporated into the citywide plan.
The community engagement process that began in October plans to reach everyone who lives, works and visits Boston in hopes of encouraging civic engagement beyond traditional community meetings.
“It’s just a fun way to learn more about what we are doing,” said Sara Myerson, the executive director of Imagine Boston 2030, who is excited about more people joining the conversation.
Orville Joseph, from the city’s Office of Fair Housing and Equity, also stopped to take a selfie at the booth on Monday. He hopes that the future will bring more and better housing in Boston.
“I hope that 2030 has more affordable housing and make it more accessible for low income housing,” Joseph said.
Myerson also hopes that the texting platform set up for residents to text their ideas will be a “way people can use the technology in their pocket to help with city planning.”
The booth makes its next stop Tuesday at the Ashmont T stop, until 7 p.m., then moves to Maverick on Wednesday. It will make two appearances Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Washington and Summer Streets in Downtown Crossing and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Boston Common near the Park Street T stop, where the city’s official Christmas tree will be lit that evening. The tour wraps up Friday at 450 Harrison Ave., from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Orville Joseph takes a selfie in front of the futuristic backdrop set up by Imagine Boston 2030 Monday on City Hall Plaza. (NewBostonPost photo by Beth Treffeisen) 
