Consult LeLa
Consult LeLa
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    • Mattapan Square Redesign
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  • More
    • Home
    • Meet The Team
    • Services
    • Contact
    • Past Projects
      • Mattapan Square Redesign
      • Boston Design Vision
  • Home
  • Meet The Team
  • Services
  • Contact
  • Past Projects
    • Mattapan Square Redesign
    • Boston Design Vision

Connecting communities to the planning of their future

Connecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their future

Connecting communities to the planning of their future

Connecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their futureConnecting communities to the planning of their future

Welcome to Consult LeLa, where We Believe in a Brighter Future

Founded in 2021, Consult LeLa is an engagement firm dedicated to making planning the future of our built environment an enjoyable and accessible experience for all. When we design from the margins and from a place of joy, we can create a world that works for everyone!


We connect urban centers and gateway cities with their residents who are not civically engaged and strive to bridge the conversation of developing a dynamic, sustainable future through collaborative conversations between municipalities or communities. We achieve this by creating, advising, and executing strategies that raise community awareness and empower community engagement.


Youth have the creativity, will, and imagination to propel our world forward. At Consult LeLa, we intentionally engage with youth by inviting them to the table to offer solutions for today and their future.   


For the sake of humanity it is imperative that we envision our future in an accessible, collaborative, and equitable manner.

Get Involved

The Beginning

Shavel'le and Chavella's partnership began in 2018, leading to a collaborative summer program in 2019 focused on food systems, the built environment, and environmental justice. In 2020, while working on separate Boston planning initiatives in Mattapan and Roxbury, they identified critical gaps in community engagement. They realized their love for their neighborhoods, their communities, and their love for youth were kindred. 

They observed three key challenges:

  • Limited urban planning awareness in Black and Brown communities, despite residents' valuable lived experiences
    • Every resident of a town or city has lived experience in their built environment and, very often, thoughts about how to improve it. Residents who are aware of these processes and how to influence them are very present and active. However, there are still a vast majority of residents who are not aware of these processes and how to partake in them.
  • Difficulty engaging youth, Black and Brown residents, and low-income communities in planning processes
    • Those planning our neighborhoods, whether it revolves around public transportation, the development of a community center, or a neighborhood transportation plan, often found it challenging to engage residents who come from a different background. When planners are able to reach these demographics information is still nuanced and technical language is not accessible to these populations’ lived experiences.
  • Historical disregard for existing community networks and decision-making structures
    • Urban planning has historically disregarded these populations and utilized urban renewal and eminent domain to eliminate or exploit communities and redevelop places they inhabit. In order to move toward a built environment that benefits the masses, processes must tap into the wealth of energy that already exists, conversations already happening, and sustainable futures already that are being dreamt up.


With this in mind, Chavella worked with local residents in Roxbury in making recommendations to the Boston Planning and Development Agency that remove inequitable barriers from residents being aware of upcoming developments. This included a glossary, best practices, and a means of communication with adjacent stakeholders not typically informed or engaged. 

Shavel'le co-created Transportation Talks (T-Talks), an 11-part series connecting residents with transportation planning decisions affecting their daily lives. The program's success caught the Boston Transportation Department's attention, leading them to hire local residents for the Mattapan Square Redesign project.


Initially working as individual consultants on youth engagement for this project, Shavel'le and Chavella formalized their partnership by registering as an LLC in 2021, launching Consult LeLa in 2022.

our philosophy

Empowering Youth

Education + Awareness

Empowering Youth

 At the heart of our practice is a steadfast commitment to youth engagement and empowerment. We believe that young people possess the creativity and vision necessary to drive positive change in our communities. Our unique approach involves not only engaging youth as participants but elevating them to roles as co-creators and consultants i

 At the heart of our practice is a steadfast commitment to youth engagement and empowerment. We believe that young people possess the creativity and vision necessary to drive positive change in our communities. Our unique approach involves not only engaging youth as participants but elevating them to roles as co-creators and consultants in the planning process. Ultimately, we are dedicated to exposing them to multiple industries, educational opportunities, and careers so they may continue shaping the future as they see best fit. 

Joy

Education + Awareness

Empowering Youth

 We believe transformative change starts with love - for our planet, our communities, and each other. Joy and hope drive our work as we empower people to shape a better future through knowledge and engagement. 

Education + Awareness

Education + Awareness

Creative Problem-Solving

 In urban planning, the most powerful expertise comes from lived experience. We empower residents with knowledge of planning processes and governance, while helping institutions tap into existing community networks. When people understand the systems shaping their neighborhoods, they can confidently contribute to creating better spaces for all.

Creative Problem-Solving

Community Connections + Centered

Creative Problem-Solving

 We are faced with a multitude of issues that affect our daily lives. When we don’t include everyone in developing solutions, we cannot create a future that supports those who have been undervalued and under-resourced. Planning the future of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities does not have to be a contentious experience. It can be one t

 We are faced with a multitude of issues that affect our daily lives. When we don’t include everyone in developing solutions, we cannot create a future that supports those who have been undervalued and under-resourced. Planning the future of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities does not have to be a contentious experience. It can be one that is collaborative, interactive, and supports a healthy tomorrow. 

Community Connections + Centered

Community Connections + Centered

Community Connections + Centered

 There are systemic practices that prevent different populations from contributing to how their built environment evolves. We partner with grassroots organizations and community leaders to break down systemic barriers that exclude people from shaping their neighborhoods. Local expertise and youth voices are essential to creating meaningful change. 

Press

WCVB City Line

Concerned about the impact to the surrounding neighborhoods, activists weigh in on plans for bus and bike lanes along the Blue Hill Avenue transportation corridor; Fatima Ali Salaam, chair of Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council, Jarred Johnson executive director of Transit Matters and Chavella Lee-Pacheco Co-founder and Principal Consultant of Consult LeLa weigh in.


WCVB City Line

Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council's Block-by-Block Approach

Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council and Powerful Pathways has been conducting an ongoing approach to bringing residents in to provide clear feedback to Boston Transportation Department about what improvements need to be made to Blue Hill Avenue. Consult LeLa supported facilitation of the block-by-block approach at the September 12, 2022 meeting.


Read More from the Dorchester Reporter

Youth Engagement Committee

In the Summer 2022, we partnered with WalkBoston to lead a workshop series on walkability and equitable transit infrastructure, culminating in a youth-led walk audit on Blue Hill Ave in Mattapan Square. 


Read More from Walk Boston

Community, Cocktails, and Mocktails with Consult LeLa

Consult LeLa approached SparkBoston about leading their Mattapan Social in August 2022. Our focus was to bring multiple city agencies planning for Mattapan under one roof and to invite Mattapan residents ages 21-40 into a space they were familiar with to connect them with these conversations.


Read More from The Dorchester Reporter 

Black News Hour

Our co-founder is well known for her dedication to the Mattapan community, learn a little bit more about her in this Boston Globe Article!


Black News Hour: Meet Shavel’le Olivier, executive director of Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Co-Founder of Consult LeLa


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Mattapan Square Redesign Engagement Report

Consult LeLa has completed our engagement for the Mattapan Square section of the Blue Hill Ave Transportation Action Plan.

Visit our Mattapan Square Redesign page to view the report.

View the Report