Massachusetts
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.
Land Trusts Preserve Affordability, but for Whom?
An analysis of buildings bought by the city for a community land trust in Boston reveals that many prior residents were evicted just before the sales.
Boston Transit Board Approves Low-Income Fare, but Funding is Unclear
The board voted to include the T’s on-demand paratransit service in the discount program, prompting concerns about cost.
Boston Gets a New Planning Department
After 67 years since its formation, the Boston Planning and Development Agency is no more.
Boston Moves Zoning Reform Forward
The ‘Squares + Streets’ plan creates form-based zoning templates for neighborhoods that promote mixed use and denser housing near transit.
Storm Erases $500,000 Massachusetts Sand Dune
A protective dune built with funds from city residents lasted just three days before being washed away in a storm.
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
