Harvard Professor Edward Glaeser argues for the loosening of regulations that create barriers to entry for small businesses and immigrant entrepreneurship in Boston.
Edward Glaeser writes a polemic inside a paean on the liberties and potential of urban living, starting with a quote offromGermanic law: "city air makes you free." The original phrase applied to a serf living in the city, but Glaeser finds evidence of the phrase's meaning today as well:
The migrant who comes from rural India to Bangalore enters a world in which the strictures of rural life, such as the caste system, essentially vanish. In many poorer countries, rural life still binds with traditional rules enforced by elders who wield the threat of social ostracism. In a city, such threats become toothless because no elder can effectively banish those who misbehave.
Glaeser applies the trope of urban liberty to the subject of Boston, which, he writes, "was born with repression deep in its D.N.A." Thus the article identifies laws and regulations that still enforce the religious rules of early Massachusetts Puritans, and argues for an expansion of the freedoms that could empower a larger cross section of the city's residents.
FULL STORY: City air makes you free
Airbnb Suing Boston Over New Regulations
The front lines of the short-term rental wars shift to the city of Boston.
Boston Mayor Wants to Limit Short-Term Rentals
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh thinks short-term rental companies like Airbnb are having a negative effect on the city's housing market, and he'll walk a fine line to regulate the industry.
Op-Ed: End the Excuses for Lack of Housing Construction
An op-ed in the Boston Globe argues that the endless negotiations over new residential developments—including over the inclusion of affordable housing units—hurts the city's housing market.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
New Atlanta Law Requires ‘Cool Roofs’
Painting roofs with reflective coatings can significantly reduce indoor temperatures and improve energy efficiency, sometimes at a lower cost than traditional roof treatments.
MTA Poised to Break Ridership, On-Time Service Records
New York City’s transit system saw strong increases in ridership and improvements in service quality in the first half of 2025.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie