Massachusetts

Having two of the top universities in the world within a couple of miles of each other doesn't hurt. But Boyd Cohen looks at Boston's cutting-edge efforts to foster innovation within and outside of its universities, that make it a global leader.

July 9, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Stephen Smith points to new economic research highlighting the dramatic effect of rent control on the value of nearby properties. Hint: it keeps prices down everywhere.

July 3, 2012 - Market Urbanism

IBM put some of their expert engineers on loan for three weeks to the city of Boston to analyze current traffic data feeds (yes, this includes Twitter), resulting in new tools to help curb congestion.

July 3, 2012 - Gigaom

Anthony Paletta takes a look at a new book by Elihu Rubin, chronicling the intriguing political history behind the construction of Boston's Prudential Center in the mid-1950s.

June 30, 2012 - Metropolis Magazine

The Bay State is terrific at attracting the leading young minds from around to world to its prestigious institutions of higher education. But when those students graduate, high housing prices are forcing them out of the state, writes Edward Glaeser.

June 19, 2012 - The Boston Globe

A new report from the Urban Land Institute concludes that Boston's subways could become overwhelmed by widespread congestion by the end of the decade without investment in more subway cars, better power and signal systems, reports Eric Moskowitz.

June 15, 2012 - The Boston Globe

Emily Badger reports on pioneering research that is looking into ways to utilize the heat trapping properties of asphalt, rather than fighting it.

May 25, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

As much-needed residential development projects in Boston prepare to seek their necessary approvals, George Thrush explores how a plague of "refusenicks" threaten to cost the city its competitive edge.

April 26, 2012 - Boston Magazine

Lisa Hymas has a fascinating look at the anti-sprawl effort championed by Mitt Romney during his time as Governor of Massachusetts, which became the model for a key Obama “smart growth” initiative — the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

April 23, 2012 - Grist

John Schwartz reports on a bridge replacement technique that demonstrates innovation in construction, as well as customer service.

April 19, 2012 - The New York Times

Hana Schank reports on Boston's Citizens Connect app, and the innovative ways in which the city's Department of New Urban Mechanics is empowering citizens and government employees alike.

April 15, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Anthony Flint reflects on the story of economic development and historic preservation that led to the saving of Boston's historic Fenway Park from demolition in the 1990s.

April 13, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Eric Moskowitz reports on the results of a recent Boston Globe pool which shows Massachusetts voters support a publicly financed bailout of the state's cash-strapped transit agency.

April 4, 2012 - The Boston Globe

Brian Heaton reports on a new app being tested by the City of Boston that can automatically detect and map potholes, using your smartphone, as you drive on the city’s street.

March 1, 2012 - Government Technology

Love it or hate it, it's nearly impossible not to have an opinion of Boston's brutalist City Hall building. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of its conception, Leon Neyfakh reports on the improbable story of its creation.

February 13, 2012 - The Boston Globe

As urban parks across the country are being created and refurbished thanks in large part to private philanthropy (e.g. the High Line and Millennium Park), Charles Birnbaum asks who will come to the rescue of Boston's famed Emerald Necklace.

February 4, 2012 - Huffington Post

On the eve of the Super Bowl, Richard Florida attempts to answer one of the most critical debates concerning metropolitan vitality today -- which is the superior sports town: Boston or New York?

February 3, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

It's been more than 50 years since Boston's old West End was demolished, so why does the neighborhood still have its own newspaper, museum, and weekly gatherings?

January 13, 2012 - The Boston Globe

An innovative tenants-rights organization in Boston combines community activism and financial backing to force banks to sell foreclosed homes back to the previous owners.

January 8, 2012 - Shelterforce

Robert David Sullivan writes that the Main Street America department store is a holiday tradition, a grand public crossroads for celebrating the season.

December 12, 2011 - Boston Globe