Having two of the top universities in the world within a couple of miles of each other doesn't hurt. But Boyd Cohen looks at Boston's cutting-edge efforts to foster innovation within and outside of its universities, that make it a global leader.
Cohen profiles some of the business models and approaches to supporting innovation that make the city the premier "innovation ecosystem in the world," outside of Silicon Valley. He spotlights MassChallenge, "Perhaps the largest single accelerator in the world", and MIT's Legatum Center, which engages, "talented MIT students who want to make for-profit startups that have a high impact in developing countries," and others to support his thesis.
According to Cohen, "One of the under-explored components of smart cities is how they enable
and attract smart citizens to innovate solutions that improve the
quality of life locally and around the globe, all while growing the
local and regional economy." And in Boston, "which has many other
smart characteristics--including quality transit and renewable energy
leadership--" programs such as those described by Cohen are, "succeeding
in facilitating the next wave of startups and are attracting
entrepreneurs from across the world."
Read the full story: Why Boston Is One Of The World’s Smartest Cities
Co-Working Spaces Fill Opportunity Zone Developments
Developers are working to attract tenants to co-working spaces, in a relationship that they say benefits companies as well as surrounding communities.
Study: Good Access to Transit Attracts Startups
Startups are increasingly abandoning the suburban office park to try their luck in denser urban cores. According to this study, good transit is one factor behind that trend. But it's not the only one.
Op-Ed: Postponing Transit in Allston Will Cost Boston
As the state plans a major renovation to the Massachusetts Turnpike, whether an Allston transit hub is built or delayed may determine how effectively the surrounding neighborhood develops.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
St. Louis Metro to test if single-car trains can reduce operating costs, maintain rider satisfaction
The pilot program will run from October to spring 2027, and begin with one single-car train operating on Metrolink’s Red and Blue lines.
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello