Massachusetts

How the housing crisis -- from unaffordable housing and the subprime scandal -- is affecting Boston.

In Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, modern condos are replacing Boston's oldest brewery buildings.

Even with the constant threat of Harvard's ongoing expansion and new attention from developers, the Riverside neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, still manages to preserve its quirky atmosphere and charm, though affordability has declined.

The prospect of X-rated businesses opening up near homes has residents of the Southern Massachusetts town of Berkley up in arms. With no zoning laws, the location of any new businesses depends on approval by a local governing board.

Plans have been proposed to expand downtown Boston's pedestrian-only shopping district with the hopes of improving the area's economic viability. Despite high pedestrian traffic, the shopping center has not been as successful as others in the city.

An architect sculpts ever-changing atmospheres with light and recorded sound. Everything from jungle birds to ocean breezes to wind chimes enhance the experience of the built environment.

A new report highlights the struggles of historic mill cities in Massachusetts as they lose thousands of jobs and strain to attract high-tech industries.

Approving high density, smart growth developments has brought urbanity and monetary benefits to the town of Easton, Massachusetts.

The lengthy list of candidates for the top job at the Boston Redevelopment Agency includes architect and Harvard professor Alex Krieger.

A new building in Boston's historic rowhouse laden south end neighborhood looks ahead without disrespecting its traditional context.

Mayor Tom Menino's proposal to move Boston City Hall to the south waterfront ignores the importance of the building's location, and the recent developments in downtown.

This article from The Phoenix looks at Boston's reputation for being a walkable city, why that reputation is fading, and who is helping to bring it back.

There are many things to like about Boston, but this article lists of 27 things to not like about it, including inconvenient bus routes, short subway operating hours, and a lack of street signs.

Controversy over the lack of female faculty at Harvard's Graduate School of Design has erupted after a adjunct professor of landscape architecture submitted her resignation in protest of the school's gender imbalance.

In a third and perhaps final attempt, developer John Rosenthal submitted plans to locate 668 housing units, 57,000 square feet of retail, 1,200 parking spaces, and a redeveloped transit station in Boston's Kenmore Square neighborhood.

Commuter rail is an outdated model of transportation, and does little to reduce car use or promote transit-oriented development.

In Massachusetts, some cities are changing their zoning rules and restrictions, encouraging more developers to building higher density "cluster" developments in traditionally low-density areas.

The New England region's population growth rate continues to drop below that of the nation as a whole, measuring at a rate of just 0.2 percent between July 2005 and July 2006. This compares with a national growth rate of about 1 percent.

A study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that nutrient pollution in New England and the Gulf of Maine has increased over the last 15 years, due to pesticide use, stormwater runoff, and sewage leaks.

Boston is set to become the first city in the nation to impose a strict set of green building standards on all new development in the city. The requirements will take effect in January and affect buildings 50,000 square feet and larger.