It's Time to Bring Bold Planning Back to Boston

The first mayoral transition in a generation presents an opportunity to consider bold ideas for improving Boston. Among them: Develop a new master plan for the city, argue Mark Pasnik, Michael Kubo, and Chris Grimley, collaborators in the design firm over,under.

"Crafting a master plan might sound like a natural first step for any just-elected mayor, but in Boston it would be a radical departure. Not for decades have we had a cohesive program for growth and development."

"The new mayor can do two crucial things. One is to split the jobs of planning and development, which are presently combined under the BRA’s purview. The second is to charge the planning agency with writing a new, comprehensive master plan, one that refocuses the attention of residents and developers on opportunities for the whole city’s advancement," the authors urge. 

"Only planning at this scale can help the city face our collective challenges: skyrocketing housing costs, economic inequality, environmental crises, and the urgency of improving our school system."