A new report calls on planners in the metropolitan Boston area to significantly alter housing development patterns to avoid a severe loss of land and natural resources by 2030.
"'MetroFuture,' a report by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, forecasts significant problems over the next two decades if community leaders fail to dramatically change residential development patterns."
"The study urges communities to concentrate growth around urban and town centers and transportation hubs, a policy known as smart growth. It also calls for smaller houses and clustered development to preserve open space."
"Without these changes, sprawl threatens the quality of life for most people in the region, according to the report, which predicts that by the year 2030:"
"Twelve communities in the area, all between Amesbury and Danvers, would suffer water shortages. However, only four would have a shortage if smart-growth polices were adopted."
"More than 19,000 acres of open space will be lost in the region."
"An estimated 5,100 new housing units would be scattered across what is now mostly open space."
FULL STORY: Warnings of a crowded future
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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