After 67 years since its formation, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is no more.
According to local nonprofit news station WBUR, the Boston City Council voted last week to shift planning authority away from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), “a body that’s reshaped much of the city in the 20th century,” to the newly minted Boston Planning Department. “The move allows Mayor Michelle Wu to deliver on a promise to reshape the way Boston does urban planning,” writes WBUR reporter Simón Rios.
The BPDA has long faced criticism for lack of oversight and transparency, and for prioritizing developers over neighborhoods and community residents. The new Boston Planning department will take over many of the staff and responsibilities of the BPDA, including oversight of large developments, but under the new structure, planning officials will now work for the city, allowing them to be called to testify in front of the city council, which the mayor’s office says will create greater oversight. Critics call the move a power grab by the mayor.
FULL STORY: In a win for Wu, city council approves a new planning department for Boston
Boston to Leverage Private Developers for a New Climate Resiliency Fund
It's going to take a lot of funding to build the infrastructure to protect coastal cities from rising seas as climate change takes hold. The city of Boston is starting to experiment with revenue sources that can fund the necessary improvements.
Bribery Scandal Leads to Zoning Board Reforms in Boston
The planning approvals process took a black eye in Boston last year, when a bribery scandal sent a Boston Planning and Development Agency staffer to jail.
New High-Rises in Boston Pick Up Where Development Left Off 40 Years Ago
A new development promises to transform a gritty part of the Back Bay, according to this article from the Boston Globe.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.
A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.
Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions