Massachusetts
Future Floods in Focus: Using AI and Physics to Visualize Disaster Risks
MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that integrates physics-based models to generate realistic satellite images of future flooding, offering communities a powerful way to visualize and prepare for disasters.
MBTA Red Line Now Free of ‘Slow Zones’
Recent work on the Boston-area rail line is making service on the aging system faster and more reliable.
Boston Affordable Housing Program Meets 1,000-Unit Goal
The program offers zero-interest loans to developers that keep rental units affordable for at least 50 years.
Massachusetts Extends Free Transit Through June 2025
Gov. Healey announced a $30 million extension to new and existing free fare programs at 13 public transit agencies.
Massachusetts TOD Law Yielding Results
While some cities are fighting the state’s push to increase density near transit, others are already breaking ground on multifamily projects that will bring hundreds of new housing units online.
Planning Fair: How Fair Housing Intersects with Planning
The successful implementation of fair housing laws requires the active participation of urban planners, land use boards, elected officials, and the wider planning community.
MBTA to Electrify its First Commuter Rail Line
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will electrify the 9 mile Fairmount Line, the shortest of their 12 commuter rail lines, using battery-electric multiple units. The first BEMU trains are projected to be operating in early 2028.
Massachusetts Has the Nation’s Only Successful Food Waste Ban
The state has reduced its methane emissions by 25.7 percent per ton of waste following a law that seeks to eliminate food waste from landfills.
How Massachusetts Zoning Reform Impacts ADU Laws
Cities and towns have until February to adjust their zoning codes to reflect more permissive rules for accessory dwelling units.
Boston AI Pilot Optimizes Traffic Light Timing
The program has led to reductions in stop-and-go traffic of as much as 50 percent.
Affordable Homes Act Targets ADUs, ‘Seasonal Communities’ in Massachusetts
State legislators say the new law could support 65,000 new housing units.
MassDOT’s ‘Beyond Mobility’ Plan Centers Resilient Transportation
The 25-year plan addresses the state’s transportation infrastructure, sustainability, and equity.
Boston’s Bike Network is Growing More Connected
More people are choosing to bike as the city focuses on filling gaps in its bike infrastructure.
Proposed NYC-to-Boston HSR Would Cut Trip to Under Two Hours
The proposed project would use a mix of new and old rail lines and bypass some cities to speed up the trip.
Cincinnati Eviction Prevention Program Shows Mixed Results
In 2019, a large affordable housing operator implemented a unique program meant to reduce evictions across its properties. Several years, one pandemic, and an economic downturn later, we check in to see how the landlord — and the tenants — are faring.
Boston’s Fair Housing Policy Shows Promise
The city was the first to tie fair housing requirements to zoning reform.
MBTA Budget Inadequate for Key Projects
Without additional funding, the agency is ‘barely treading water’ and could be forced to make service cuts in 2026.
Boston Commuter Rail Recovering Rapidly
The ‘T’ is reworking its schedule to offer more reliable and flexible service, including more midday and weekend trains.
Home Equity Takings Case Will Move Forward, Federal Judge Rules
Two plaintiffs in Greenfield, Massachusetts, have accused city officials of violating the Takings Clause after the city foreclosed on their properties to recoup unpaid property taxes and then kept all the equity.
Second Massachusetts Town Spurns State TOD Zoning Mandate
Marshfield residents voted down a rezoning plan that would have met state requirements for the town to allow development of multifamily housing near MBTA stations.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
