Something's Missing in Boston's Reinvented Seaport

The list of large investments in the South Boston Waterfront over the past three decades is impressive. An article by Jon Chesto begins by noting all the changes "The cleanup of the harbor. The vast convention center. The Big Dig. And then, after the Great Recession, all the construction, and the new offices it brought."

Yet Chesto also notes that some, like local resident Valerie Burns, have noticed something is still missing: "There are no schools, no library. It’s hard to find a place to play soccer or baseball. And the biggest problem Burns sees? There simply aren’t enough neighbors."

It's true that the area currently has 2,000 housing units—"nearly double the amount that existed five years ago"—with more on the way. Yet "longstanding questions remain about the role housing plays in the city’s waterfront evolution," writes Chesto.

The article provides a lot more detail about the legacy of planning efforts for the area, and how development so far has succeeded, or failed, its expectations for the area.