Challenger running for City Council for the first time
The candidate’s website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Background: Theology, social work and community engagement and climate activism | Focuses: Climate action; racial justice; and inclusive representation
Q&A
Compiled by Matt Rocha
Walker is a reverend and environmental activist serving as climate justice program director for Clean Water Action. He also serves on the advisory board of the Charles River Watershed Association and the city’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Team. He earned a master’s degree in theology from Boston University and is working toward a master’s in public policy at Tufts.
Housing: “I’m a supporter of the Affordable Housing Overlay. I’m also a supporter of trying a municipal voucher to be able to help subsidize market-rate rent. I’m also supportive of thinking about how the universities can house their graduate students because, oftentimes as a graduate student it’s hard to rub two nickels together.”
Climate policy: “I advocate that we push for policies that will provide climate education across the city, especially for those in urban heat islands such as North Cambridge and The Port … We also should have mitigation efforts such as Beudo. I’m supportive of it. It’s an ambitious climate policy.”
Road infrastructure: “We need to think of a way to create safer streets for our motorists, for our cyclists, for our pedestrians. I’m also supportive of on-demand transit. I know some people in some communities are not in favor of bike lanes, but I think the city should invest in mobile, on-demand transit that operates similarly to Lyft and Uber.”
Pet project: Walker wants to better prepare Cambridge for flooding, extreme heat and other effects of climate change.
Participatory budgeting:
“I would like to see the Urban Forest Friend [in which residents care for street trees] get funding to hire neighborhood coordinators in each community … Priority would be given to communities that suffer from the urban heat island effect.”
Favorite place: Cambridge Common.
A stronger
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