Mayor Wu recently overhauled the makeup of Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals, but bigger changes will be necessary to depoliticize the city’s development approvals process.

The Boston Globe Editorial Board describes the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) as having “something of a stranglehold on small and mid-sized building projects throughout the city.”
So the Editorial Board welcomes a recent shakeup of the ZBA [paywall] by Mayor Michelle Wu, who is a longtime critic of the ZBA [paywall] and the politics of the city’s development approvals process. Wu’s past reform proposals included calling for ZBA appointees to have climate change and urban planning expertise, rather than being required to come from specific interest groups such as the Building Trades Council, the Boston Society of Architects, and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board.
But Wu is still working within those parameters with the recent appointments, so the editorial is only cautiously optimistic that the shakeup might work as the mayor intends. “But it doesn’t solve the larger issues that she was so intent on solving — providing diversity of professional backgrounds and skills without leaving board members open to charges of insider dealing or even intentional insider obstructionism,” according to the editorial.
Barring the state-level approval that would be required to substantively change the ZBA, the Boston Zoning Commission, which has purview over the city’s zoning code, could also improve the city’s approval process.
In the meantime, however, Boston’s ZBA is expected to continue to review hundreds of appeals for small projects “that in every other city and town would be routine building permit matters — a roof deck or garage or an in-law apartment,” reads the editorial.
FULL STORY: Wu cleans house at zoning board [paywall]

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie