Young professionals are choosing to live in "smaller, more transit-oriented developments." To keep them in-state, Gov. Deval Patrick plans to incentivize the building of 10,000 multifamily housing units each year through 2020 in Mass.
"I'm very glad the governor has set a goal," said Marc Draisen, executive director of the regional Metropolitan Area Planning Council. "What we really need is multifamily homes." The goal of building 10,000 new housing units close to workplaces, public transportation and city and village centers will be incentivized through several programs including Compact Neighborhoods and Chapter 40R. The council predicts the housing initiative will help the Boston area "expand by 120,000 households - most of them younger families - between 2010 and 2020."
The housing plan, writes Jenifer B. McKim, comes "amid a growing chorus of housing specialists who are stressing the importance of building more higher-density housing." As the demand for suburban single-family homes weakens, a study by the nonprofit Boston Foundation "calls for the state to double or triple its housing development in the region as young professionals and baby boomers compete for the same types of homes in Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Norfolk counties."
"We are trying to promote more compact development, affordable and market-rate housing near centers, near transit, and where jobs are being created," said Aaron Gornstein, the undersecretary for the Massachusetts Housing and Community Development. The housing plan encourages high-density growth by offering incentives such as "priority access to state funding for infrastructure improvements" and the bypass of certain zoning restrictions.
However, reports McKim, other housing specialists like Harvard University economist Edward Glaeser are "skeptical that families will want to live in multifamily complexes without urban amenities" and question "whether 10,000 units will be enough to meet growing housing needs."
FULL STORY: Governor Patrick details multifamily housing plan
San Diego Satellite Town Asks: Smart Growth or Trojan Horse?
San Diego County's "most walkable city" is being challenged to identify the real smart growth: what it has or what is being proposed. At issue: a plan amendment for a high density project near transit. But is the project real?
Westside Fights Smart Growth: Can Any Development Navigate L.A.'s Traffic Nightmare?
On the Westside of L.A., where rush hour traffic slows to a crawl on the best days, a proposed transit-oriented development called the 'quintessential example' of smart growth by the Mayor's staff faces opposition to its size and attraction to autos.
Will New Mayor Seize the Opportunity to Build a 'Truly Urban' L.A.?
The new mayor of Los Angeles is young, charismatic, and a champion of urbanism and smart growth. He should start using all these assets immediately to transform Los Angeles into the vibrant, transit-oriented city it can become, says Bill Fulton.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
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