Boston's New 'Urban Ring'

In the second-largest settlement of its kind, Massachusetts will pay $23 million for 8 acres of industrial land needed for the Big Dig.

1 minute read

December 15, 2002, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The area is regarded as a new real estate frontier with the same kind of development potential as the South Boston Waterfront. But it is also a tangle of major transportation routes, including the entryway to the Big Dig, tracks for commuter rail, and possibly in the future, part of the proposed rail transit route known as the Urban Ring. State officials have been negotiating with Guilford and Spaulding & Slye to accommodate the Urban Ring route through their property, to avoid saddling that project with an additional $14 million for a more elaborate viaduct."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Sunday, December 15, 2002 in The Boston Globe

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

5 hours ago - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

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.