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.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service