An in-depth look into the political controversies stirred up in the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain as a result of a proposed, density-adding zoning plan.
"Boston officials this week are set to approve new zoning rules for a section of Jamaica Plain from Egleston Square to Forest Hills, bringing new growth and affordable housing to a neighborhood that many residents say needs both," according to an article by Tim Logan and Shelby Grebbin.
But there's a catch: the plan has critics on both sides of the proposal. "Developers and their allies worry that aggressive requirements for low-cost units make it too expensive to build, while a group of vocal protesters argue the opposite, that the city hasn’t gone far enough on affordable housing," according to Logan and Grebbin.
The article highlights the proposed plan as a case study of conflicting dynamics at work in Boston and other cities all over the country: the need for more housing, especially affordable housing, and the desire to preserve neighborhoods for the communities already living there.
The specifics of the Jamaica Plain experience, which are detailed in the article with infographics and testimonials, will also be helpful as the city gears up for similar rezonings in the neighborhoods of Roxbury and Dorchester.
FULL STORY: Housing plan brings growing pains to Jamaica Plain
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Harvard University Graduate School of Design
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The Architects Foundation
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Journal of the American Planning Association