Massachusetts
Mapping the Solar Potential of Every Roof
A new app out of MIT provides property owners with detailed information about the solar potential of their roofs. The app is currently at work in five cities.
Adapting to Rising Seas in Boston with Venice-Style Canals
The latest example of a coastal city designing urban resilience as both amenity and infrastructure—a plan to build Venice-style canals in Boston.
Can Boston Change its 'Wink and Nod' Development Process?
A reborn plan to raze the Winthrop Square parking garage and replace it with the tallest building in Boston will provide a test for new Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
Boston's 'Adult Playground': Created without Traditional Planning
Anthony Flint cites the example of Boston's new adult playground to ask the question: "Should we let more urban design emerge organically?"
Bus Startup Bridj Hires Gabe Klein as Chief Operations Officer
Gable Klein, former head of transportation for Chicago and Washington D.C., has joined Bridj, a Boston-based startup building dynamically generated bus routes.
Historic Preservation as the Enemy of Diversity
A recent article takes a controversial stance contrary to the argument of Jane Jacobs that old buildings equal affordable, diverse neighborhoods.
The Ridership Benefits of Infill Stations—Coming Soon to the MBTA Orange Line
Yonah Freemark writes of the value of infill stations—new transit stations built on existing lines—for increasing transit ridership. Somerville, outside of Boston, will provide the latest example when it opens a station on the Orange Line next week.
MassDOT Looks to Repurpose Freeway Underpasses
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking ideas for how to create active uses among the often-blighted underbelly of freeway underpasses and other elevated structures.
As Crashes Go Unreported, Boston's Pedestrians Lose Out
The refusal of the Boston Police Department to report crashes to the state's Registry of Vehicles means that the city misses out on state funding to improve pedestrian and traffic safety.
Gentrification Creeps North of Boston
Naomi Kooker tells of the rapidly increasing pace of gentrification in the once gritty, now expensive, Boston suburb of Somerville.
Boston to Test Extended Parking Restrictions in Southie
An influx of new residents has also meant an influx of residential parking passes in the Southie neighborhood of Boston. Can a pilot program to extend residential parking restrictions (from four nights a week to seven) quell the "crisis"?
Massachusetts Voters May Repeal Automatic Gas Tax Indexing
It's been exactly a year since the state approved a 3-cent increase in the gas tax with hard fought legislation that ties future increases to inflation. However, the automatic indexing of the gas tax may be undone by voters on November 4.
Reinventing the Suburban Office Park
The need to update aging facilities, as well as competition coming from once-dormant urban rivals, is compelling many suburban office parks to invest in the trappings of more urban settings.
'Urban Physics' Compares Cities to Nature's Materials
Ruth Graham details the work of Franz-Josef Ulm, who is developing a theory of "urban physics" that compares the structure of cities to materials found in nature. Boston, for instance, is disorderly like water (and Los Angeles).
Google Maps Methane Leaks in Three U.S. Cities
Google, partnering with the Environmental Defense Fund, has created a series of maps locating methane leaks around three cities in the United States. The question of just how much methane is leaking in a given city comes down to infrastructure.
How Coastal Communities Can Adapt to the Effects of Climate Change
Dave Hampton, an architect and a principal at the consulting firm re:ground llc reviews last month’s "MIT Sea Grant’s Climate Change Symposium: Sustaining Coast Cities."
Explaining the Limitations of Travel Time Comparisons
Jarrett Walker details the nuances of travel time comparisons, following on a recent Boston Magazine article comparing MBTA transit service to the new Bridj private bus service.
Study Ranks Life Sciences Industry Clusters
Lauren K. Ohnesorge shares the results of a recent study that ranks the strength of the life sciences industry in the nation's metropolitan areas. Boston leads the list.
Air Rights Deal to Renovate Boston's Back Bay Station Includes Skyscraper
Boston is in the process of effectively privatizing the management of its largest transit hubs. The latest example: a deal that would renovate MBTA’s Back Bay Station in exchange for air rights for a skyscraper above the station.
In the Era of Starchitecture, Whither 'Locatecture'?
Witold Rybczynski laments the globalization of architecture—especially the personal branding of the most famous architects onto the skylines of cities all over the world.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
