Massachusetts
Boston’s Micro-Apartment Experiment Continues
Boston, like other cities around the country, suffers from a housing shortage. Initial micro-apartment developments met plenty of demand, but whether the model is a panacea for the city’s housing shortage is still in question.
Funding Appeal for Beaches in Massachusetts
The Metropolitan Beaches Commission has improved conditions and facilities at many of Massachusetts' beaches since its inception in 2006. Recently, however, the commission called for funding to be restored to pre-recession levels.
Modern Love Looks Like Parking Tickets
Fools rush in, they say—with a little push from the Cambridge Traffic, Parking, & Transportation Department.
Boston's First Permanent Public Market to Start Construction
To capitalize on expanding interest in locally-sourced and unique food items, a non-profit group is moving forward with plans to build Boston's first permanent public market focused on locally grown foods in a space atop the Haymarket MBTA station.
Zoning Change Clears Way for Urban Farming in Boston
The urban farming movement won a big victory recently in Boston, where new zoning regulations allowed for the creation of certain kinds of commercial farms within city limits.
Ambitious Boston Rail Expansions Planned for Next Decade
This week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced how it aims to spend $12.4 billion on road and transit projects over the next five years. Expansions of Boston's Fairmount Indigo Line and Green Line are planned.
Developer Deals Shortchange Affordable Housing Program in Boston
With little outside oversight, Boston's powerful yet secretive Redevelopment Agency has squandered millions of dollars that were supposed to help build affordable housing by cutting deals with developers and allocating funds to other uses.
How Thomas Menino Wove Boston's Neighborhoods into a "Whole City"
Over twenty years in office, Mayor Thomas Menino had a considerable impact on Boston's built environment. For Robert Campbell, the Mayor's most substantial accomplishment was in recapturing "the places in between".
Developers Bet that Micro Apartments Will Work in Smaller Cities
The relatively low cost of micro apartments in high rent cities such as N.Y. and San Francisco makes them a feasible alternative for singles, but will they attract millennials in smaller, lower-rent cities like Providence, Cleveland and Worcester?
With TOD Planning, Boston Suburb Embraces a Different Brand of Urban Renewal
With the long-awaited extension of Boston's Green Line train to Somerville expected to arrive in a few years, the city has embraced a planning and development process much different from the one that "left behind some of Somerville’s worst spaces."
Late-Night Subway Service is New Weapon in Fight to Attract Young Talent
A pilot project to extend the operating hours of Boston's subway system until 3 a.m. on weekends is being celebrated by riders, businesses leaders and public officials as a crucial element in maintaining a vibrant and attractive city.
Should Universities Help Pay for City Services?
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell has spent $600 million on construction projects over the past six years alone. But as the university grows, local leaders are asking for payments in lieu of taxes to offset the demand on municipal services.
Super Sharrows: "Feel of a Bike Lane" or Wasted Paint?
New "sharrows on steroids" are being tested In the Allston neighborhood of Boston. Are the markings - parallel dashed lines bracketing a bicycle icon - a legitimate improvement on the controversial practice or "an underwhelming innovation"?
Kanye West Delivers Desktop Pep Talk at Harvard GSD
Musician and aspiring designer Kanye West stopped by Harvard’s Graduate School of Design for a surprise visit Sunday evening and delivered what Jenny Xie calls a manifesto on architecture.
Why Aren't Boston's First Parklets Being Used?
With Boston's first parklets off to a slow start, observers wonder whether their low usage is due to poor planning, bad design, or insufficient outreach. With the parklets set to reopen in the spring, can they be tweaked to succeed?
130 Years on, Boston's Emerald Necklace Still a Model Linear Park
Writer Kaid Benfield used a recent trip the American Society of Landscape Architects annual meeting in Boston to reflect on what that city can teach us about designing urban parks.
It's Time to Bring Bold Planning Back to Boston
As a reaction to the excesses of urban renewal, Boston has refrained from comprehensive planning for nearly 40 years. With a new mayor set to take office, it's time to create a new master plan for the city, argues a commentary in the Globe.
Urban Politics: Voters Choose Three New Big City Mayors
Emily Badger of The Atlantic Cities and Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution sit down with The NewsHour's Gwen Ifill for a discussion on the elections of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Boston to Require Developers to Detail Resilience Efforts
Hurricane Sandy served as a wake up call for many cities to the dangers of rising seas and more extreme storms. To prepare for these threats, officials in Boston have proposed zoning rules that would require developers to detail mitigation measures.
Friday Funny: Hip-Hop Hounds Promote Cycling Safety
Some cities see citations as the best way to improve bike safety; others focus on educational classes. But in Boston, a crew of rapping puppets encourage riders to "Put Your Helmet On".
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
