Town-gown relations between universities and their host cities can sometimes be complex and contentious issues, yet despite past and present strife, officials from Tufts and the cities of Medford and Somerville said the cities and the University enjoy a positive bond.
"We've enjoyed a great partnership with Tufts," Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn said. "It's a great resource."
McGlynn has been mayor of Medford for 18 years - a tenure which he said has overseen multiple University presidents and a dynamic, changing relationship between his city and the University.
McGlynn said that years ago, residents complained of loud noise and inappropriate student behavior. He said there was one incident in which students blocked Winthrop Street and partied with kegs in the middle of the road.
"Things just got a little out of control," he said. "We explained that if this was going to be the case, we were going to have stricter enforcement."
"There was a perception before that [the town and the University] were separate and apart," said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, who has been in office for a year and a half.
"Years ago, a lot of elected officials thought you got elected [in Medford] by beating up Tufts." McGlynn said. McGlynn, however, said he has always stressed the ways in which the University is a tremendous resource for the community.
Despite some of these positive sentiments, administrators acknowledged that in any "town-gown" relationship there is always some strain. According to the University's Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel, recent controversy has been sparked by parking conflicts, land use issues and complaints about students' actions.
"Student behavior issues are still something that we live with," Rubel said. "We rely on the goodwill of our neighbors and the good sense of our students [to keep things calm]."
Somerville Alderman Bob Trane, who represents the part of Somerville which encompasses Tufts, agreed that relations have "improved dramatically." Nevertheless, "there are still some issues we have to work on," he said.
Chief among these is "student-neighborhood relations," especially with regard to noise, he said. In terms of finding solutions, "the responsibility [is] squarely on Tufts at this point to keep an open dialogue with neighbors on these issues," he said.
Improved communication and cooperation is what has made the current relationship so much better than in the past, some officials have said.
"I really believe our relations with Medford and Somerville are more and more collaborative right now than they've been in 20 years," Rubel said.
This relationship was the result of "principally President Bacow's efforts to reach out to the community," she said. "[There is a] synergy that raises everything to a new level."
Curtatone and McGlynn also credited Bacow with exceptional efforts to reach out to the communities.
"This president understands community," McGlynn said. "He came right in and sat down and the relationship has been a good one ever since."
"He reached out to me before I was even sworn in," Curtatone said. "I can only speak positive things about Larry Bacow [and his staff]."
According to McGlynn, the cooperation between the cities and the University has manifested itself in a number of ways.
"Tufts is the number one employer here in the City of Medford. From a job standpoint, it's a great benefit to have Tufts here," he said. "But more importantly, to have such a fine university here - from an educational standpoint - means a lot to the community."
Curtatone said he concurs with McGlynn's assessment. "My relationship and experience with Tufts has been extremely positive. It has been a very, very constructive working relationship," he said.
Both mayors pointed to various ways in which Tufts has helped the cities financially, educationally and socially. Tufts engineering professors visited Medford fifth graders to discuss bridge building, and the University hosted a symposium on strategic growth and development for Somerville.
Curtatone said there are several ways in which Tufts has contributed to his city, including running the Shape-up Somerville educational campaign to promote good health. In Medford, Tufts also donated money to repave roads and revitalize parks, according to McGlynn.
From here, both mayors expressed desire to expand upon the relationship and further these initiatives.
"I'm very happy with where we're starting from. I want to build upon the foundation we have set," Curtatone said, adding that the foundation that McGlynn, himself and Bacow construct must be "solid" enough to endure when the leadership changes.
"The president understands that importance, and we're building upon that," Curtatone said. "I see nothing but positive things in terms of the relationship between Tufts and Somerville. We're part of one community,"
Rubel said that she wishes students who came to Tufts would take more time to learn about Medford and Somerville. Students, she said, come to Tufts for four years and leave without learning about these cities.
"There is a lot of richness in Medford and Somerville, [and I want to] work and make that more accessible to [students]," she said.
For now, however, it will be up to the community and University leaders to expand on the relationship and help it progress, according to the officials.
