A New Bold Plan For Boston

"Planners mapping the future of Greater Boston want to encourage people to live and work in suburban town centers, and cut pollution, water usage, and traffic to improve the quality of life over the next two decades.

The "MetroFuture" planning recommendations by the quasi-public Metropolitan Area Planning Council were made after three years of discussions with 4,000 residents and public officials, and will be unveiled today at a Boston College citizens seminar in downtown Boston.

While short on specific means for reaching the goals, the plan urges lawmakers, private industry, and state and local governments to work together over the next two decades to shift growth from remote new suburbs to existing town centers. It calls on older suburbs to amend zoning codes to permit redevelopment and mixed-use development, such as housing above stores."